California Early Care and Education
Workforce Study
Licensed Child Care Centers
Statewide 2006
By Marcy Whitebook, Laura Sakai, Fran Kipnis, Yuna Lee, Dan Bellm,
Mirella Almaraz, and Paulina Tran
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment,
Institute of Industrial Relations, University of California at Berkeley
California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
© 2006 Center for the Study of Child Care Employment,
and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
All rights reserved.
Design: Yuna Lee
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment
Institute of Industrial Relations
University of California at Berkeley
2521 Channing Way #5555
Berkeley, CA 94720
(510) 643-8293
http://www.iir.berkeley.edu/cscce/index.html
California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
111 New Montgomery Street, 7th floor
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 882-0234
http://www.rrnetwork.org
Acknowledgments
This study was made possible through the generous support of First 5 California. The
authors also gratefully acknowledge the David and Lucile Packard Foundation for their
support of an initial pilot study on which this study was based. Finally, we would like to
thank the many child care center directors of California who gave so generously of their
time to take part in this study.
Suggested citation
Whitebook, M., Sakai, L., Kipnis, F., Lee, Y., Bellm, D., Almaraz, M., & Tran, P. (2006).
California Early Care and Education Workforce Study: Licensed child care centers.
Statewide 2006. Berkeley, CA: Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, and San
Francisco, CA: California Child Care Resource and Referral Network.
California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006
Contents
Introduction
1
Licensed Child Care Centers in California
4
Purpose of the Study
6
Study Design
7
Survey Population and Study Sample
8
Survey Instrument
11
Data Collection Procedures
11
Survey Completion and Response Rate
12
Data Analysis
13
Findings
Who are the teachers, assistant teachers and directors in California’s licensed
child care centers?
14
17
Age
17
Ethnic Background
19
Linguistic Background
23
Turnover and Tenure
26
Wages
32
Size of the Teacher, Assistant Teacher and Director Workforce in California
Centers Licensed to Serve Infants and/or Preschoolers
36
What are the characteristics of children in California child care centers licensed
to serve infants and/or preschoolers?
41
Centers and Public Dollars for Child Care Assistance
42
Children with Special Needs
48
What is the level of educational attainment and early childhood developmentrelated training among teachers, assistants and directors in California’s
child care centers?
50
Overall Educational Attainment of Teachers, Assistants and Directors
51
Degree Attainment Through a Foreign Institution
54
Education, Training and Certification Related to Early Childhood Development
54
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006
How do levels of overall educational attainment, and professional preparation
related to early childhood development, vary among teachers, assistant
teachers and directors employed in centers licensed to serve infants and/or
preschoolers?
58
Overall Educational Attainment, by Region
59
Overall Educational Attainment and Professional Certification, by Ages of
Children Served
65
Overall Educational Attainment, and Early Childhood-Related Training, by
Centers’ Relationship to Public Funding
65
Overall Educational Attainment, by Teacher and Assistant Demographic
Characteristics 70
How well prepared are licensed centers to care for and educate children who
are dual language learners or have special needs?
76
Preparation to Work with Young Children Acquiring a Second Language
76
Preparation to Work with Young Children With Special Needs
78
Discussion 84
1) Who are the teachers, assistant teachers and directors in California’s licensed
child care centers?
86
2) What are the characteristics of children in California child care centers
licensed to serve infants and/or preschoolers?
88
3) What is the level of educational attainment and early childhood
development-related training among teachers, assistants, and directors in
California’s child care centers?
90
4) How do levels of overall educational attainment, and professional
preparation related to early childhood development, vary among teachers,
assistant teachers and directors employed in centers licensed to serve
infants and/or preschoolers?
92
5) How well prepared are teachers to care for and educate children who are
dual language learners or have special needs?
95
Appendix A: Additional Tables
References
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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97
109
California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006
Tables
Table 1.1. Comparison of Title 22 and Title 5 Regulations for Child Care Center Staff 5
Table 2.1. Study Regions by County
8
Table 2.2. Sampling and Weighting Plan 10
Table 2.3. Survey Response Rate
12
Table 3.1. Estimated Ethnicity of Teachers, Assistant Teachers and Directors:
Statewide and By Region
21
Table 3.2. Estimated Ethnicity of Teachers, Assistant Teachers and Directors, By
Centers’ Relationship to Public Subsidy
24
Table 3.3. California Children in Public Kindergarten, 2004-2005: 15 Most
Commonly Spoken Languages of English Language Learners
25
Table 3.4. Estimated Percentage of Centers Employing at Least One Teacher,
Assistant Teacher or Director with the Capacity to Communicate Fluently in a
Language Other Than English: Statewide and By Region
27
Table 3.5. Estimated Mean Percentage of Teachers and Assistant Teachers with
the Capacity to Communicate Fluently in a Language Other Than English
Employed, If Center Employed At Least One Such Staff Person: Statewide and
By Region
27
Table 3.6. Estimated Percentage of Centers Employing at Least One Teacher,
Assistant Teacher or Director with the Capacity to Communicate Fluently in
a Language Other Than English: Statewide, and By Ages of Children Served
and Relationship to Public Subsidy
28
Table 3.7. Estimated Mean Percentage of Teachers, Assistant Teachers and
Directors with the Capacity to Communicate Fluently in a Language
Other Than English in Centers Employing At Least One Such Staff Person:
Statewide, By Ages of Children Served and Relationship to Public Subsidy
28
Table 3.8. Estimated Mean Percentage of Annual Job Turnover Among Teachers,
Assistant Teachers and Directors: Statewide and By Region
30
Table 3.9. Estimated Mean Percentage of Annual Job Turnover Among Teachers,
Assistant Teachers and Directors: Statewide, By Ages of Children Served and
Relationship to Public Subsidy
30
Table 3.10. Estimated Percentages of Teachers, Assistant Teachers and Directors
With Different Rates of Tenure: Statewide and By Region
31
Table 3.11. Estimated Percentage of Teachers, Assistant Teachers and Directors
With Different Rates of Tenure, By Ages of Children Served and Centers’
Relationship to Public Funding: Statewide
31
Table 3.12. Estimated Mean Hourly Wages Paid to Teachers with BA or Higher
Degrees, and to Assistant Teachers: Statewide and By Region
33
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006
Table 3.13. Estimated Mean Hourly Wages Paid to Teachers with BA or Higher
Degrees and Assistant Teachers: Statewide, By Ages of Children Served and
By Centers’ Relationship to Public Subsidy
34
Table 3.14. Estimated Distribution of Assistant Teachers, Teachers and Directors
Who Work with Infants and Preschool Children: Statewide
38
Table 3.15. Estimated Number and Percentage of Assistant Teachers, Teachers
and Directors Who Work with Infants and Preschool Children, By Ages of
Children Served: Statewide
38
Table 3.16. Estimated Number and Percentage of Assistant Teachers, Teachers
and Directors Who Work with Infants and Preschool Children, By Centers’
Relationship to Public Subsidy: Statewide
38
Table 3.17. Estimated Number and Percentage of Assistant Teachers, Teachers
and Directors Who Work with Infants and Preschool Children: Statewide and
By Centers’ Relationship to Public Subsidy
39
Table 3.18. Estimated Mean Number of Assistant Teachers, Teachers and
Directors Employed by Centers: Statewide
39
Table 3.19. Estimated Mean Number of Teachers and Assistant Teachers
Employed by Centers: Statewide, and By Centers’ Relationship to Public Subsidy 40
Table 3.20. Estimated Number of Children Enrolled in California Child Care
Centers Licensed to Serve Infants and/or Preschoolers
42
Table 3.21. Estimated Percentage of Centers Serving at Least One Child in
Various Age Groups: Statewide and by Region
43
Table 3.22. Estimated Mean Number of Children Served, by Age Group:
Statewide and by Region (Includes only those centers that care for at least
one child in that age range)
43
Table 3.23. Estimated Mean Number of Children Served: Statewide and by Region
44
Table 3.24. Estimated Percentage of Centers That Receive Public Dollars: Statewide
44
Table 3.25. Estimated Mean Percentage of Subsidized Children Enrolled in
Centers Receiving Vouchers: Statewide and by Region 45
Table 3.26. Percentage of Centers Serving at Least One Child in Various Age
Groups: Statewide and by Centers’ Relationship to Public Subsidy
46
Table 3.27. Estimated Mean Number of Children Served by Age Group:
Statewide and by Centers’ Relationship to Public Subsidy (Includes only those
centers that care for at least one child in that age range)
46
Table 3.28. Estimated Percentage of Center Auspices: Statewide, Within Region
and by Centers’ Relationship to Subsidy
47
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006
Table 3.29. Estimated Percentage of Centers that Care for At Least One Child
with Special Needs: Statewide and by Centers’ Relationship to Public Subsidy
49
Table 3.30. Estimated Mean Percentage of Children with Special Needs Served:
Statewide and by Centers’ Relationship to Public Subisidy (Includes only those
centers that care for at least one child with special needs)
49
Table 3.31. Estimated Mean Percentage of Teachers and Assistants Employed in
Centers, By Education Level: Statewide
52
Table 3.32. Teachers with a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher: Statewide and By Region
63
Table 3.33. Teachers with a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher in Early Childhood
Education: Statewide and By Region
64
Table 3.34. Estimated Educational Attainment of Teachers, Assistant Teachers
and Directors, By Ages of Enrolled Children: Statewide
66
Table 3.35. Estimated Average Percentage of Teachers and Assistant Teachers
with Child Development Permits in Centers Employing at Least One Such
Teacher: Statewide and By Centers’ Relationship to Public Subsidy
69
Table 3.36. Estimated Percentage of Teachers By Age and Educational
Attainment: Statewide
71
Table 3.37. Estimated Percentage of Teachers By Ethnicity and Educational
Attainment: Statewide
71
Table 3.38. Estimated Percentage of Teachers with a Bachelor’s Degree or
Higher, Associates Degree or No Degree, By Ethnicity: Statewide and By Region
73
Table 3.39. Estimated Percentage of Teachers at Different Levels of Educational
Attainment Who Speak A Language Other Than English Fluently: Statewide,
By Ages of Enrolled Children, By Region, and By Centers’ Relationship to
Public Subsidy
75
Table 3.40. Estimated Mean Percentage of Teachers Completing at Least One
Hour of Non-Credit Training and/or at Least One College Credit Related to
Dual Language Learning Children: Statewide
77
Table 3.41. Estimated Percentage of Centers Employing at Least One Teacher
With Non-Credit Training and/or College Credits Related to Dual Language
Learning Children: Statewide
77
Table 3.42. Estimated Mean Percentage of Teachers with AA, BA or Higher
Degrees With Non-Credit Training and/or College Credits Related to Dual
Language Learning Children: Statewide
79
Table 3.43. Estimated Percentage of Centers Employing at Least One Teacher
with Non-Credit Training and/or College Credits Related to Children with
Special Needs: Statewide
80
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006
Table 3.44. Estimated Mean Percentage of Teachers with Non-Credit Training
and College Credits Related to Children with Special Needs: Statewide, By
Region, and by Centers’ Relationship to Public Subsidy
82
Table 3.45. Estimated Mean Percentage of Teachers with AA, BA or Higher
Degrees in Centers Employing or Not Employing Teachers with Non-Credit
Training and/or College Credits Related to Children with Special Needs:
Statewide
82
Table 3.46. Estimated Mean Percentage of Teachers with Non-Credit Training
Related to Children with Special Needs, by Number of Such Children
Enrolled: Statewide and By Region 83
Table 3.47. Estimated Mean Percentage of Teachers with College Credits Related
to Children with Special Needs, by Number of Such Children Enrolled:
Statewide and By Region 83
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006
Figures
Figure 2.1. Study Regions
9
Figure 3.1. Estimated Age Distribution of Teachers and Assistant Teachers
Compared to Women in California: Statewide
18
Figure 3.2. Estimated Age Range of Teachers: Statewide, and By Ages of Children
Served
18
Figure 3.3. Estimated Age Range of Teachers: Statewide, and By Centers’
Relationship to Public Subsidy
20
Figure 3.4. Estimated Age Range of Teachers: Statewide and by Region
20
Figure 3.5. Estimated Ethnic Distribution of Teachers, Assistant Teachers and
Directors Compared to the California Female Adult Population: Statewide
22
Figure 3.6. Estimated Ethnic Distribution of Teachers and Assistant Teachers,
Compared to California Public K-12 Teachers and Children 0-5 Years: Statewide
22
Figure 3.7. Estimate Percentage of Teachers, Assistant Teachers and Directors
Who Have Been Employed at Their Centers for More than Five Years: Statewide
29
Figure 3.8. Estimated Percentage of Assistant Teachers, Teachers and Directors
Who Work with Infants and/or Preschool Children: By Region
37
Figure 3.9. Estimated Educational Attainment of Center Infant and Preschool
Teachers Compared to the California Female Adult Population: Statewide
52
Figure 3.10. Estimated Educational Attainment of Center Infant and Preschool
Teachers, Assistant Teachers and Directors: Statewide
53
Figure 3.11. Estimated Percentage of Teachers, Assistant Teachers and Directors
with a Bachelor’s or Higher Degree: Statewide and by Region
60
Figure 3.12. Estimated Percentage of Teachers, Assistant Teachers and Directors
with an Associate Degree: Statewide and by Region
60
Figure 3.13. Estimated Percentage of Teachers with a Bachelor’s or Higher
Degree, Compared to Adult Female Population: Statewide and By Region
61
Figure 3.14. Estimated Percentage of Teachers with an Associate Degree,
Compared to Adult Female Population: Statewide and By Region
61
Figure 3.15. Estimated Educational Attainment of Teachers, By Centers’
Relationship to Public Subsidy: Statewide
68
Figure 3.16. Estimated Education Attainment of Direct0rs, By Centers’
Relationship to Public Subsidy: Statewide
68
Figure 3.17. Estimated Education Attainment of Assistant Teachers, By Centers’
Relationship to Public Subsidy: Statewide
69
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006
Figure 3.18: Estimated Mean Percentage of Teachers Who Have Completed NonCredit Training and/or College Credits Related to Dual Language Learning
Children: Statewide, and by Centers’ Relationship to Public Subsidy
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
79
California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006
Appendix Tables
Table A1. Estimated Age Range of Assistant Teachers: By Ages of Children Served 98
Table A2. Estimated Age Range of Assistant Teachers: By Centers’ Relationship
to Public Subsidy
98
Table A3. Estimated Age Range of Assistant Teachers: Statewide and by Region
98
Table A4. Estimated Ethnicity of Teachers, Assistant Teachers and Directors, By
Ages of Children Served
99
Table A5. Estimated Distribution of Assistant Teachers, Teachers and Directors
Who Work with Infants and Preschool Children: By Region
100
Table A6. Estimated Percentage of Centers that Care for At Least One Child with
Special Needs: By Region and By Ages of Children Served
100
Table A7. Estimated Percentage of Assistant Teachers By Age and Educational
Attainment: Statewide
100
Table A8. Estimated Percentage of Teachers and Assistant Teachers By Age and
Educational Attainment: By Region
101
Table A9. Estimated Percentage of Teachers and Assistant Teachers by Age
and Educational Attainment: By Ages of Children Enrolled and Centers’
Relationship to Public Subsidy
103
Table A10. Estimated Percentage of Teachers By Ethnicity and Educational
Attainment: Statewide and By Region
105
Table A11. Estimated Percentage of Assistant Teachers by Ethnicity and
Educational Attainment: Statewide and by Region
106
Table A12. Estimated Percentage of Assistants with an Associate or Higher
Degree, or No Degree, By Ethnicity: Statewide and By Region
107
Table A13. Estimated Mean Percentage of Teachers with Non-Credit Training
and/or College Credits Related to Dual Language Learning Children, by Age
of Children Served and Region
108
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006
Introduction
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Introduction
Reflecting the growth in the number
of working families with young children
and the importance of early learning, the
U.S. has witnessed an explosion of early
care and education services in centers
and homes over the last 30 years. What
was once a relatively small, unnoticed
sector of the economy is now viewed
as a growing industry with substantial
economic impact in terms of widespread
use, consumer and public spending,
and job creation (National Economic
Development and Law Center, 2001). At
the same time, researchers in cognitive
science, psychology and education, among
others, have expanded our understanding
of the developmental significance of the
early years, underscoring the importance
of high-quality early learning settings to
ensure that children realize their potential
(Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000).
Evidence that the quality of early
care and education settings can and does
influence children’s development during
and beyond the preschool years (Gormley,
Gayer, Phillips & Dawson, 2004; Henry,
Gordon, Henderson & Ponder, 2003;
Reynolds, Temple, Robertson & Mann,
2001; Schulman, 2005; Schulman &
Barnett, 2005; Schweinhart et al., 2005)
has increasingly shifted attention to the
early care and education workforce, and
the extent to which those who care for
young children are adequately prepared to
facilitate their learning and well-being.
Creating a skilled and stable early
care and education workforce, however,
has emerged as a daunting challenge.
Reflecting a shortage of resources
throughout the industry, employment in
the field is characterized by exceptionally
low pay, leading to high turnover that, in
turn, undermines program quality and
children’s development (Helburn, 1995;
Whitebook, Howes & Phillips, 1998;
Whitebook, Sakai, Gerber & Howes,
2001).
High turnover, coupled with the
expansion of services, has led to a high
demand for personnel in the field, and
has also contributed to maintaining
relatively low requirements for working
with young children. As a result,
employment qualifications in the field do
not tend to match the level of skills and
understanding truly needed to meet the
demands of this work. This gap between
professional challenges and regulatory
requirements is further exacerbated by
changes in the child population – notably
the increasing numbers of children from
immigrant families who are dual language
learners, and the growing numbers of
children identified as having special
developmental needs. Many students
of early childhood education still do not
receive training related to serving such
children (Whitebook, Bellm, Lee & Sakai,
2005).
The recognition that the workforce
is the backbone upon which early care
and education services depend has
underscored many of the activities
undertaken by First 5 commissions
at the state and local level. Since the
program’s inception in 2000, for example,
California has spent over $240 million on
the state- and county-level effort known
as CARES, which has awarded stipends
to over 40,000 ECE practitioners for
pursuing further training and education.
Increasing attention is also turning to
institutions of higher education to assess
the resources they will need, in order
to adapt their programs and to support
students in meeting more rigorous
standards for working with young
children (Whitebook, Bellm, Lee & Sakai,
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Introduction
2005).
This report is intended to identify
the characteristics of California’s current
center-based early care and education
workforce, both in light of proposed new
requirements, and to help assess the size
of the task of training the next generation
of workers to care for young children.
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Introduction
Licensed Child Care Centers in California
In California, child care provided
outside of a home environment is called
a child care center. A child care center is
usually located in a commercial building,
school or church. In a child care center,
non-medical care and supervision can
be provided for infants (birth to 23
months), preschoolers (two to five years)
and school-age children (kindergarten
students and older) in a group setting for
periods of less than 24 hours.
Almost all child care centers are
required to be licensed by the Community
Care Licensing Division (CCLD) of the
California Department of Social Services.
Centers that are exempt from licensing
include certain school-age and preschool
programs run by Park and Recreation
Departments and school districts;
informal arrangements in which no
money changes hands for care, such as
co-ops and play groups; on-site military
child care programs; and programs
administered by the Department of
Corrections.
To receive a license, child care centers
must meet the requirements established
in the Code of California Regulations Title
22 related to personnel, the facility, and
the number and ages of children served.
•
•
•
Requirements for a child care facility
include:
•
•
•
Personnel requirements include:
•
Child care centers must have qualified
directors and qualified teaching staff.
Directors and teachers must have 12
units in early childhood education. To
be a qualified infant teacher, at least
three of the units must be related to
the care of infants. Directors must
have three units in administration or
staff relations.
Employees must have a fingerprint
clearance from the California
Department of Justice and the Federal
Bureau of Investigation, and have a
Child Abuse Index Clearance.
All staff must have a TB clearance and
a health report.
At least one person on-site must have
15 hours of health and safety training
approved by the Emergency Medical
Services Authority. This includes a
current CPR and First Aid Certificate.
35 square feet of indoor play space per
child, 75 square feet of outdoor space
per child, and one toilet and one sink
for every 15 children.
Compliance with CCLD health and
safety requirements pertaining
to storage space, equipment and
materials, drinking water, food
preparation, storage of dangerous
materials, adult/staff restrooms,
isolation areas for sick children, and
facility temperature.
Compliance with all other state,
federal, and/or local codes and
regulations such as zoning, building
restrictions, fire, sanitation, and labor
requirements.
Number and ages of children served:
•
The total number of children who
can be served in a facility is called
the licensed capacity of the center.
The licensed capacity is based on the
physical space of a site (as described
For more information about child care center licensing see:
http://ccld.ca.gov.
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Introduction
above) and the number of staff
available to provide care.
• CCLD issues separate licenses for the
different ages of children that can
be served: infants, preschoolers, and
school-age children. Each age group
requires a specific ratio of children to
adults:
Infants: 1 adult to 4 children
Preschoolers: 1 adult to 12 children
School-age children: 1 adult to 14 children
Additional Regulations for Child Care
Centers
In addition to the Title 22 regulations
described above, centers contracted with
the California Department of Education
(CDE) must meet the regulations set
by Title 5 of the California Code of
Regulations. Head Start centers are also
required to meet additional regulations
established by the federal Head Start
Bureau. Table 1.1 below compares the
educational levels for child care center
staff required by Titles 5 and 22. Head
Start educational requirements are
not included in the chart, as the Head
Start staffing structure is unique to that
program. Fifty percent of all Head Start
teachers nationwide in center-based
programs, however, are required to have
an AA, BA or advanced degree in early
childhood education, or an AA, BA or
advanced degree in a field related to
early childhood education, in addition to
experience teaching preschool children.
According to the 2005 California
Child Care Portfolio, there were 10,143
child care centers with 639,443 child
care spaces (commonly referred to as
“slots”) in the state in 2004. Six percent
of these slots were licensed for infants, 70
percent for preschoolers and 24 percent
for school-age children. Child care centers
made up 64 percent of all licensed child
care spaces, with family child care homes
comprising 36 percent of the capacity
(California Child Care Resource & Referral
Network, 2005).
Table 1.1. Comparison of Title 22 and Title 5 Regulations for Child Care Center Staff
Position
Title 22
Assistant teacher
Associate teacher
None
Not specified
12 units of college-level CD/ECE
6 months experience
Teacher
Site supervisor
Program director
Not specified
12 units of college-level CD/ECE
3 units administration
Title 5 (CDE-contracted centers)
6 units of college-level Child
Development (CD)/ Early Care and
Education (ECE)
12 units of college-level CD/ECE
24 units of college-level CD/ECE
16 units of General Education (GE)
AA or 60 units including:
24 units of CD/ECE
16 units GE
8 units administration
BA or higher including:
24 units of CD/ECE
8 units of administration
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Introduction
Purpose of the Study
Recognizing the critical role that early
childhood educators play in the lives of
California’s children and families, First
5 California commissioned in 2004 a
statewide and regional study of the early
care and education (ECE) workforce in
licensed child care centers and licensed
family child care homes. The overall goal
of the study was to collect information
on the current characteristics of this
workforce – particularly its educational
background, and its potential need and
demand for further opportunities for
professional development.
In partnership, the Center for
the Study of Child Care Employment
(CSCCE) at the University of California
at Berkeley, and the California Child
Care Resource and Referral Network
(Network), have gathered this information
to help state and local policy makers
and planners assess current demand at
teacher training institutions; plan for
further investments in early childhood
teacher preparation; and gain a baseline
for measuring progress toward attaining
a well-educated ECE workforce whose
ethnic and linguistic diversity reflects that
of California’s children and families.
The present report contains the
study’s findings for licensed child care
centers that have infant and/or preschool
licenses. Some of these centers have
school-age licenses as well. This study,
however, does not include data for centers
that have a license to serve school-age
children only.
In studying the state’s population of
licensed child care centers, our primary
objectives were to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Compile baseline data on the
demographics, wages, tenure, and
educational characteristics of child
care center directors, teachers and
assistant teachers;
Identify the extent to which their
educational backgrounds vary with
respect to ethnicity, language and age;
Profile the business and program
characteristics of centers, including
organizational status and participation
in various subsidy programs;
Profile the children that centers with
varying characteristics serve, in terms
of numbers, ages, subsidy status, and
special needs;
Document the professional
preparation of licensed child care
center staff to work with children who
are dual language learners and/or have
special needs;
Develop a sound estimate of the
number of assistant teachers, teachers
and directors in licensed child care
centers; and
Identify differences among regions of
the state, between centers with and
without public subsidies, and between
centers serving and not serving
infants, with respect to the licensed
child care center staff, along the
dimensions noted above.
A separate report containing
information about licensed family child
care homes in California can be found
at the First 5 California web site, http://
www.ccfc.ca.gov.
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006
Study Design
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Study Design
Survey Population and Study
Sample
First 5 California sought statewide
information about directors, teachers
and assistant teachers employed at
licensed child care centers, as well as
regional comparisons with respect to
demographics and child care supply.
As shown below, we divided the 58
counties of the state into four regions:
Northern California, the Bay Area, Central
California and Southern California.
The survey population included all
8,740 active, licensed child care centers
serving children birth to five years that
were listed as of January 2004 with statefunded child care resource and referral
(R&R) agencies. Centers licensed to
serve only school-age children were not
included in the survey population. These
data were aggregated, cleaned and verified
by the California Child Care Resource and
Referral Network (Network).
Due to cost and time constraints, we
developed a statewide random sample
of 1,800 licensed centers: 400 centers
in each of the four regions, with the
exception of a 600-center sample in
Southern California, 200 of which were
in Los Angeles County and 400 in other
southern counties. This approach allowed
us to assess the influence of Los Angeles
on the region as a whole. We developed
the sampling plan to ensure that there
were enough completed interviews in each
of the four regions to provide a reliable
profile of each area, and to compare the
data across regions.
Within each region, between 17 and
19 percent of centers have a license to
serve infants. To ensure that these infant
centers were accurately represented in the
final sample of interviewed centers, we
divided the centers within each region into
two random sampling groups: namely,
centers with and without an infant
license. The number of completed surveys
targeted for each group was proportional
Table 2.1. Study Regions by County
Northern
730
licensed centers*
Alpine
Mono
Amador
Nevada
Butte
Placer
Calaveras
Plumas
Colusa
Shasta
Del Norte
Sierra
El Dorado
Siskiyou
Glenn
Sutter
Humboldt
Tehama
Lake
Trinity
Lassen
Tuolumne
Mendocino
Yolo
Modoc
Yuba
Bay Area
2,037
licensed centers*
Alameda
Contra Costa
Marin
Napa
San Francisco
San Mateo
Santa Clara
Santa Cruz
Solano
Sonoma
Central
1,618
licensed centers*
Fresno
Inyo
Kern
Kings
Madera
Mariposa
Merced
Monterey
Sacramento
San Benito
San Joaquin
San Luis Obispo
Stanislaus
Tulare
Southern
4,355
licensed centers*
Imperial
Los Angeles
Orange
Riverside
San Bernadino
San Diego
Santa Barbara
Ventura
* Source: California Child Care Resource and Referral Network.
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Study Design
Figure 2.1. Study Regions
Del
Norte
Siskiyou
Modoc
Shasta
Lassen
Trinity
Humboldt
Tehama
Plumas
Mendocino
Butte
Glenn
Northern
730 licensed centers
Sierra
Nevada
Lake
Yuba
Placer
r
Sutte
Colusa
El Dorado
Yolo
Sonoma
Napa
Sacramento
Alpine
Amador
Solano
Calaveras
Marin
San Francisco -
Contra
Costa
Alameda
San
Joaquin
Tuolumne
Mono
Stanislaus
San Mateo -
Bay Area
2,037 licensed centers
Santa
Clara
Mariposa
Merced
Central
1,618 licensed centers
Madera
Santa Cruz -
San
Benito
Inyo
Fresno
Tulare
Monterey
Kings
San Luis Obispo
Kern
San Bernardino
Santa Barbara
Ventura
Southern
4,355 licensed centers
Los Angeles
Riverside
Orange
San Diego
Imperial
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Study Design
Table 2.2. Sampling and Weighting Plan
Population
Targeted
Centers interviews
with
Completed
infants
interviews
Sample
weight*
Population
Targeted
Centers interviews
without Completed
infants
interviews
Sample
weight*
Total interviews
completed
Northern
California
Bay
Area
Central
California
Southern California,
excluding Los
Angeles County
Los
Angeles
County
Total
122
389
305
458
361
1,635
68
76
76
76
36
332
60
84
85
81
39
349
1.91
4.26
3.17
5.13
8.97
-
608
1,648
1,313
1,922
1,614
7,105
332
324
324
324
164
1,468
279
353
375
389
176
1,572
1.94
4.25
3.15
4.39
8.07
-
339
437
460
470
215
1,921
to the group’s occurrence in the universe.
In the Bay Area, for example, 19 percent
of centers had an infant license; therefore,
to reach our total of 400 interviews,
we targeted 76 interviews with centers
holding an infant license (19 percent of
400) and 324 interviews with centers not
holding such a license.
We completed 1,921 interviews,
exceeding some targets, as described in
the Survey Completion and Response Rate
section below. As a result of the random
sampling process, a portion of licensed
centers from every region of the state
was included in the survey, based on the
size of each region’s center population.
Similarly, centers serving infants were
included in the survey at the same
proportion as they occurred in the center
population.
In addition, nine counties (Alameda,
Los Angeles, Marin, Merced, Mono,
Sacramento, San Francisco, Santa
Barbara, and Santa Clara) contracted
for county-specific studies of their
licensed child care homes and centers.
These studies made use of the interviews
conducted for the statewide survey, as
well as additional interviews conducted in
each county to ensure a sizeable enough
sample to generate reliable countylevel findings. These reports provide
additional information about variations
in the workforce among different parts
of the state, and are available at the First
5 California web site, http://www.ccfc.
ca.gov.
As shown above, the number of
licensed centers varies considerably by
region, ranging from 730 in Northern
California to 4,355 in Southern California.
In order to generate statewide population
estimates that accurately reflect the
variations among regions in numbers of
centers, we weighted each interview. Data
were weighted by region, and were based
on the proportion of centers contacted for
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
10
California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Study Design
the study to licensed centers in the region.
•
Note: All results presented throughout
this report are based on weighted data.
•
Survey Instrument
The Child Care Center Survey used
in this study has built upon numerous
workforce studies conducted by the Center
for the Child Care Workforce over the last
three decades (Center for the Child Care
Workforce, 2001). Specifically, the survey
instrument was adapted from the 2001
California Child Care Workforce Study, an
eight-county effort funded by the David
and Lucile Packard Foundation as a pilot
for this statewide survey (Whitebook,
Kipnis, Sakai, Voisin, & Young, 2002).
Certain changes were made to
the 2001 survey to capture specific
information requested by First 5
California to assist in its workforce
development planning related to the
expansion of publicly funded preschool
services. Prior to data collection, the
survey instrument and data collection
procedures were approved by the
Committee for the Protection of Human
Subjects at the University of California at
Berkeley, and were then pre-tested in the
field.
Telephone interviews were conducted
in English with directors of child care
centers, who answered questions both
about themselves and on behalf of their
teaching staff. A very small number of
eligible centers (0.72 percent) were unable
to complete the interview because of a
language barrier.
For the three groups of child care
center staff, directors, teachers and
assistant teachers, the questions in the
survey addressed:
•
•
Demographics: age, ethnicity, and
languages spoken;
Levels of education and training:
highest level of education; type of
degree, if any; college credit related to
Early Childhood Education; credit and
non-credit training related to special
needs children and English language
learners; permits and credentials;
and participation in local CARES
programs;
Employee characteristics: wages,
tenure, and turnover of teachers and
assistant teachers; and
Business and program characteristics:
number and ages of children served,
including children with special needs,
and those who receive government
subsidy; public contracts with the
California Department of Education
or Head Start; organizational status,
including private for-profit, private
nonprofit and public.
Data Collection Procedures
We mailed a notification letter,
describing the purpose of the survey and
encouraging participation, to all centers
likely to be interviewed based on their
order in the random sample. The letter
was signed by representatives of First 5
California, the Center for the Study of
Child Care Employment at the University
of California, Berkeley, and the California
Child Care Resource and Referral
Network. In addition to the letter, each
center received an Interview Worksheet,
outlining the survey questions, to help
Over 40 counties in California have implemented
professional development stipend programs for child care
center teachers, administrators, and family child care providers
based on the California CARES program model. These
initiatives are intended to help build a skilled and stable early
education workforce by providing monetary rewards, based on
participants’ education levels and continued commitment to
their professional development.
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
11
California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Study Design
Table 2.3. Survey Response Rate
Sample released and dialed
Ineligible: out of business
Presumed ineligible*
Eligible
Complete
No response, presumed eligible**
Refusal
Multi-site refusal***
Respondent not available or target
reached****
Communication barrier
Other reasons for non-completion
Number of
centers
4,809
101
382
4,326
1,921
494
858
187
Percentage of
sample
100.0%
2.1%
7.9%
90.0%
39.9%
10.3%
17.8%
3.9%
Percentage of
eligible centers
100.0%
44.4%
11.4%
19.8%
4.3%
794
16.5%
18.3%
31
41
0.6%
0.9%
0.7%
0.9%
* Disconnected, wrong number, changed phone number, or no answer.
** Anwering machine, voice mail, or busy signal.
***Answered for some centers in multi-site agency but not all.
**** Some centers coded as “respondent not available” did not receive the maximum number of eight interview attempts if the
target number of interviews had been reached and the interview was no longer needed.
the director prepare for the telephone
interview. Centers were informed that
they would receive a copy of the latest
version of First 5’s Kit for New Parents as
an incentive for completing the interview.
Field Research Corporation, Inc.
(FRC), a professional public opinion
research firm, conducted the interviews
using computer-assisted telephone
interviewing (CATI). During the CATI
process, the interviewer reads the survey
question from a computer screen and
enters the survey data directly into the
computer. This promotes uniformity of
interview technique as well as accuracy
and consistency during data input. FRC
completed 1,826 interviews between
April 25 and June 14, 2005. Interviews
with Head Start centers that were closed
during this time were attempted again
during fall 2005. Ninety-five additional
interviews were completed with Head
Start centers, bringing the total number
of completed interviews to 1,921.
Licensed centers were contacted
during the work day, and whenever
directors requested it, they were called
back at an appointed time to complete the
interview, sometimes in the evening or
during the weekend. Interviews took an
average of 20 minutes to complete. FRC
made up to eight attempts to complete an
interview with each center.
Survey Completion and
Response Rate
FRC exceeded the study’s target
number of 1,800 interviews, dialing 4,809
centers to complete 1,921 interviews.
Targets in certain regions were exceeded
when we interviewed the Head Start
centers that had been closed during the
Sixteen Head Start centers that were closed during the
original field period completed interviews during the ninecounty study (9/12/05-10/14/05) and 79 Head Start centers
that were closed during the original field period completed
interviews between November 14 and December 9, 2005.
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
12
California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Study Design
original study period.
Of the 4,809 center contacts, 10.0
percent were determined to be ineligible,
either because they were out of business
or were presumed to be. (See Table
2.3.) Because of unanticipated delays
in implementing the survey after our
sample was drawn, the sample was over
one year old when the survey began. For
that reason, we assume that many of the
centers with “unresolved phone numbers”
were actually out of business. Among
those eligible, 44.4 percent completed the
survey.
Data Analysis
Data analysis sought to address the
goals of the study as outlined in the
introduction to this report. All analyses
were performed using SPSS (Statistical
Package for the Social Sciences) 12.0 and
StataSE 8, the latter software designed
for complex sample surveys and weighted
data.
First, we compiled statistics that
described characteristics of the workforce,
including the age, ethnicity, language(s)
spoken, tenure and wages of teachers,
assistant teachers and directors employed
in centers serving infants and/or
preschoolers. Second, we conducted
analyses of the number of children of
various age ranges served in centers,
as well as the numbers of children with
special needs and children receiving
public child care subsidies. Third, we
examined teacher, assistant teacher and
director educational backgrounds, making
comparisons among the educational levels
and demographic characteristics of center
staff. Fourth, we examined whether
teachers had completed non-credit or
credit-bearing training to care for children
with special needs and/or English
language learners.
To more closely examine differences
among regions, between centers with and
without public subsidies, and between
centers serving and not serving infants,
we conducted inferential statistical tests
(e.g., chi-square, t-test, ANOVA). All
significant results are reported, including
group differences at a p value of .05 or
better.
We performed regional comparisons
twice – first by including Los Angeles
County center staff as part of the Southern
California region, and then by excluding
them. We report results for both analyses
wherever differences were found using
these two sub-samples. Wherever
results did not differ, we present regional
results for Southern California including
Los Angeles County center staff. For a
more detailed view of teachers, assistant
teachers and directors employed in
infant/preschool child care centers in
Los Angeles County, see the Los Angeles
County report at the First 5 California web
site, http://www.ccfc.ca.gov.
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
13
California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006
Findings
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
14
California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
The findings described in this report
are based on interviews with 1,921
directors of California child care centers
that are licensed to care for children
from birth to 23 months (infants) and/or
from two to five years old and not yet
in kindergarten (preschoolers). Some
centers in the sample also are licensed
to serve school-age children, but
centers licensed for school-age children
exclusively were not included in the
sample. Each interview represents only
one center, although approximately 15
percent of centers included in the sample
were part of multi-site programs. Centers
were randomly selected from four regions
of the state: Northern California, the Bay
Area, Central California, and Southern
California. All data reported here were
weighted to reflect the proportion of
centers licensed to serve infants and/
or preschoolers in various regions of
California.
The following profile, therefore, is
based on these weighted estimates of the
population of California centers licensed
to serve infants and/or preschoolers.
Because some of these centers also enroll
older children, we included the numbers
of these school-age children enrolled in
our profile of centers. Findings related
to the demographic and professional
characteristics of teachers and assistants,
however, refer only to those staff working
with infants and/or preschoolers.
This study also did not include centers exempt from
licensing. Most license-exempt centers in California are
part-day programs operated by local Park and Recreation
Departments and/or serving only school-age children.
Separate interviews were conducted with directors for
each site of multi-site programs that were selected for the
study and agreed to participate. Thus, in some cases, directors
in multi-site programs completed multiple interviews, one
for each site included in the study. Some directors, however,
refused to complete more than one interview, as reported below
in our discussion of the sample response rate. There were no
significant regional differences among centers with respect to
multi-site status.
For the purpose of this study, we
defined teachers as “those who are
responsible for a group of children or
a classroom, and who may or may not
have administrative duties.” Assistant
teachers were defined as “those who
work under the supervision of a teacher
and who do not independently supervise
a classroom or group of children.”
Directors were defined as persons on-site
“who have administrative and executivelevel responsibilities for running the
center, but limited or no regular teaching
responsibilities.” Teacher-directors (staff
who served as both teachers and directors
at their centers) were included as teachers
if they worked directly with children the
entire time the center was open, or for 15
or more hours per week. If they worked
directly with children for less than 15
hours per week, they were categorized as
directors. Educational and demographic
information about directors refers to
those who work on-site at a given center.
Because regulations governing
staff qualifications are more stringent
for programs holding a Head Start or
California Department of Education
(CDE) contract than for those without
contracts, one cannot assume that
teachers, assistant teachers or directors
across programs, even if they have
the same job title, meet equivalent
educational or professional criteria.
In addition, some programs may set
standards for staff qualifications that
exceed those required by licensing or as a
condition of a contract.
Significant differences are reported at
a ­­­­­p level of 0.05 or less. Figures and tables
included in this chapter summarize data
referred to in the text. Standard errors for
all findings represented in this chapter,
as well as additional data not discussed
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
15
California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
in the text, can be found in the Appendix
Tables. After reporting statewide
findings, we report statistical differences
among centers operating in various
regions of the state. For selected variables,
we also report statistical differences
between centers enrolling subsidized
children – either through Head Start,
a contract with the Child Development
Division of the California Department
of Education (CDE), or vouchers
– and centers not enrolling subsidized
children. Less than one percent of centers
enrolled infants exclusively, preventing
us from distinguishing between those
enrolling only infants and those enrolling
preschoolers. For selected variables,
however, we do report statistical
differences between centers not enrolling
children under two and those enrolling a
mix of children younger and older than
two.
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
16
California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Who are the teachers, assistant teachers and directors in
California’s licensed child care centers?
In California, a teacher in a child care center licensed to serve infants and/or
preschoolers is slightly more likely to be White, Non Hispanic than she is to be a
woman of color. Assistant teachers are more diverse, and more closely reflect the
ethnic distribution of children ages birth to five in California, than teachers or
directors. Still, teachers are more ethnically diverse than K-12 teachers. Compared to
women in California, teachers and assistant teachers are more likely to be under age
30 and less likely to be over 50 years of age. Slightly more than one-third of teachers,
nearly one-half of assistant teachers, and one-quarter of directors are able to speak a
language other than English fluently, most typically Spanish.
These demographic profiles vary, however, among regions of the state and by
such center characteristics as age group of children served and relationship to public
subsidy. For example, as with the population as a whole, center teaching staff in
Northern California are more likely to be White, Non-Hispanic than their counterparts
in Central and Southern California. Centers holding contracts with Head Start or the
California Department of Education are more likely to employ teachers who speak
a language other than English than are centers receiving public dollars through
vouchers, or those receiving no public dollars.
The typical teacher and assistant teacher have worked in their present jobs for
less than five years, while the typical director has been on the job for more than five
years. The highest-paid teachers with a BA earn, on average, between $14.03 and
$18.62 an hour, depending on the region of the state in which they reside. The highestpaid assistants can expect to earn $9.28 an hour, on average, if they work in a center
receiving public dollars through a voucher, and $11.21 an hour in a center holding a
contract with Head Start or CDE.
Age
Directors were asked to report the
age range of their teachers and assistant
teachers; we did not collect data on the
age of directors for this study. Compared
to women in California overall (26.9
percent), teachers (33.0 percent) and
assistant teachers (48.7 percent) were
more likely to be younger than 30. (See
Figure 3.1.)
Previous research has established that the early care and
education workforce is predominantly female. In the interest
of survey length, therefore, directors were not asked about the
gender of teaching staff.
The age distribution of teachers and
assistant teachers differed by whether
or not centers enrolled infants as well as
preschoolers. (See Figure 3.2.) Centers
enrolling infants employed a greater
proportion of teachers and assistant
teachers under 30 years old than centers
that did not serve infants. Only 26.0
percent of teachers in centers without
infants were under 30, compared to 44.3
percent of teachers in centers serving
infants as well as preschoolers.
The age distribution of teachers and
assistant teachers also varied depending
on centers’ relationship to public subsidy,
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
17
California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Figure 3.1. Estimated Age Distribution of Teachers and Assistant Teachers Compared
to Women in California: Statewide
60
48.7
Percentage
50
40
33.0
26.9
30
29.1
26.7 26.2
24.4
22.5
Percentage
20
22.5
15.4
15.3
9.3
10
0
29 years or younger
30 to 39 years
Teachers (n=42,676)
40 to 49 years
Assistant teachers (n=13,404)
50 years or older
Women in California
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
Figure 3.2. Estimated Age Range of Teachers: Statewide, and By Ages of Children
Served
100%
15.4
80%
9.2
19.2
18.6
22.5
60%
24.8
27.9
29.1
30.0
40%
20%
33.0
44.3
26.0
0%
Statewide (n=42,676)
29 years or younger
Centers enrolling infants
(n=16,390)
30 to 39 years
a
40 to 49 years
Centers without infants
(n=26,286)
50 years or older
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
a
Most of these centers also enroll older children,
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
18
California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
as shown in Figure 3.3. Centers receiving
public dollars through vouchers reported
a higher proportion of teachers and
assistant teachers under 30 years old,
and a lower proportion of teachers and
assistant teachers over 50 years old, than
did either centers holding a contract with
Head Start or CDE, or centers receiving
no public dollars.
The age distribution of teachers and
assistant teachers also varied across
regions of the state. (See Figure 3.4.) Bay
Area teachers were more likely to be 50
years or older than were teachers in other
regions. Assistant teachers in Central and
Northern California were more likely to be
under 30 years of age than were assistant
teachers in other parts of the state.
Assistant teachers in Central California
were less likely to be over 50 years old
than their counterparts in the rest of the
state.
Ethnic Background
We found that slightly more than onehalf of child care teachers in California
(53.0 percent) were White, Non-Hispanic.
(See Figure 3.5.) Slightly less than onehalf of teachers were people of color (47.0
percent); Latinas were the second largest
group (26.9 percent). Among assistant
teachers, Latinas represented a plurality
(42.0 percent), followed by White, NonHispanics. Over three-fifths of directors
(62.6 percent) were White, Non-Hispanic,
while 15.9 percent were Latina. As shown
in Table 3.1, across all job titles, African
Americans and Asian/Pacific Islanders
were the next largest groups, followed
by those identifying themselves as
Multiethnic, American Indian/Alaskan
Native, or of some other ethnicity.
Table 3.1 shows the estimated ethnic
distribution of teachers, assistant
teachers, and directors across the state,
as well as by region. Across job titles,
directors were the least ethnically diverse
group, and assistant teachers were the
most diverse. As shown in Figure 3.5,
teachers and directors in California child
care centers enrolling infants and/or
preschoolers were more likely to be White,
Non-Hispanic, and less likely to be Latina,
that were other female adults in the state.
In contrast, assistant teachers were more
likely to be Latina, and less likely to be
White, Non-Hispanic, than were other
female adults in the state. Compared
to the state’s adult female population,
African Americans were proportionally
represented, and Asians/Pacific Islanders
were less represented, among teachers,
teacher assistants and directors in the
center workforce.
Assistant teachers were more diverse,
and more closely reflected the ethnic
distribution of children ages birth to five
in California, than teachers or directors
in centers. Child care center teachers,
however, were still much more diverse
than teachers in Grades K-12 in California
public schools. (See Figure 3.6.) Nearly
three-quarters of public school K-12
teachers (73.5 percent) were White, NonHispanic, compared to 53.0 percent of
teachers in child care centers, and 30.0
percent of children ages birth to five
(California Department of Education,
2004). Child care center teachers were
more likely to be Latina (26.9 percent)
than were K-12 teachers (14.2 percent),
but were less likely to be Latina than
children ages birth to five (49.9 percent).
The percentage of Latina assistant
teachers (42.0) more closely reflected the
proportion of Latino children ages birth to
five in California.
Child care center teachers were more
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
19
California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Figure 3.3. Estimated Age Range of Teachers: Statewide, and By Centers’ Relationship
to Public Subsidy
100%
15.4
11.8
18.2
80%
19.3
19.6
22.5
26.4
24.3
60%
28.2
29.1
40%
28.4
31.8
20%
40.4
33.0
28.0
23.6
0%
Statewide (n=42,670)
Head Start/CDE
contract (n=9,683)
29 years or younger
Vouchers/No contract
(n=20,703)
30 to 39 years
40 to 49 years
No vouchers/No
contract (n=12,290)
50 years or older
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
Figure 3.4. Estimated Age Range of Teachers: Statewide and by Region
100%
15.4
15.9
22.5
22.6
29.1
23.7
11.8
19.6
80%
14.4
19.1
22.6
24.5
60%
31.0
40%
20%
29.8
27.7
33.0
37.8
Statewide
(n=42,676)
Northern CA
(n=2,523)
38.1
33.2
Central CA
(n=6,894)
Southern CA
(n=22,546)
28.2
0%
29 years or younger
Bay Area
(n=10,713)
30 to 39 years
40 to 49 years
50 years or older
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
20
California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Table 3.1. Estimated Ethnicity of Teachers, Assistant Teachers and Directors:
Statewide and By Region
Estimated percentage
Northern
Statewide
CA
Teachers
Assistant
teachers
Directors
Bay
Area
Southern
Central
CA w/ Los
CA
Angeles
Southern
CA w/o
Los
Angeles
White, Non-Hispanic
53.0
83.1
52.1
54.8
49.5
56.6
Latina
26.9
10.4
17.2
30.3
32.1
29.9
African American
7.3
0.8
7.9
6.1
8.0
5.1
Asian/Pacific Islander
8.0
1.5
16.6
4.9
5.7
5.2
American Indian or
Alaskan Native
0.3
1.3
0.5
0.3
0.1
0.3
Multiethnic
2.2
2.3
2.3
2.2
2.1
1.2
Other
2.3
0.5
3.4
1.4
2.2
1.7
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number of teachers
43,290
2,507
10,757
7,238
22,788
12,412
White, Non-Hispanic
36.9
72.8
41.0
35.4
31.8
40.5
Latina
42.0
19.5
26.4
49.6
47.4
42.0
African American
8.1
1.1
8.1
6.1
9.5
6.6
Asian/Pacific Islander
8.1
1.8
18.9
4.6
6.5
6.4
American Indian or
Alaskan Native
0.4
2.3
0.1
0.3
0.3
0.4
Multiethnic
1.6
2.0
1.4
1.4
1.6
1.2
Other
2.9
0.5
4.1
2.6
2.9
2.9
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number of assistant
teachers
20,833
1,424
3,879
3,491
12,039
5,806
White, Non-Hispanic
62.6
80.4
65.0
60.2
60.7
68.3
Latina
15.9
9.0
7.1
23.6
17.5
17
African American
8.6
1.6
8.3
9.3
9.2
4.8
Asian/Pacific Islander
6.1
0.5
13.6
1.9
5.1
3.8
American Indian or
Alaskan Native
0.7
2.6
0.6
0.8
0.4
0.0
Multiethnic
3.8
4.2
2.7
3.7
4.2
3.8
Other
2.3
1.6
2.7
0.5
2.9
2.2
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number of directors
6,852
365
1,433
1,192
3,862
2,135
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Figure 3.5. Estimated Ethnic Distribution of Teachers, Assistant Teachers and
Directors Compared to the California Female Adult Population: Statewide
70
62.6
60
53.0
Percentage
50
45.6
42.0
36.9
40
32.1
26.9
30
Percentage
20
15.9
13.2
8.6
7.3
10
8.1
6.7
6.1
8.0
12.5
8.1
4.8 4.9
2.4
0
White, NonHispanic
Directors (n=6,851)
Latina
African American
Teachers (n=43,290)
Asian/Pacific
Islander
Assistant teachers (n=20,833)
Other
a
CA female adult populationb
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
a
Other includes American Indian or Alaskan Native and Multiethnic groups.
b
US Census Bureau (2004).
Figure 3.6. Estimated Ethnic Distribution of Teachers and Assistant Teachers,
Compared to California Public K-12 Teachers and Children 0-5 Years: Statewide
80
73.5
70
62.6
Percentage
60
53.0
49.9
50
42.0
36.9
40
30.0
30
Percentage
20
26.9
15.9
14.2
10
0
White, Non-Hispanic
Directors (n=6,851)
a
CA public K-12 teachers
Latina
Teachers (n=43,290)
b
Children 0-5 years
Assistant teachers (n=20,833)
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
a
California Department of Education (2004).
b
California Department of Finance (2004a).
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
likely than K-12 teachers to be African
American (7.3 percent vs. 4.7 percent),
Asian/Pacific Islander (8.0 percent vs. 5.9
percent) or self-identified as Multiethnic
or Other (7.6 percent vs. 1.6 percent).
Child care center teachers were slightly
more likely to be African American or to
identify as Multiethnic or Other, and were
somewhat less likely to be Asian/Pacific
Islander, than were children ages birth
to five (African American children, 6.1
percent; Other, 4.5 percent; and Asian/
Pacific Islander, 9.5 percent).
The ethnic composition of staff did
not differ by ages of children enrolled in
centers, but it did differ depending on
whether centers held a Head Start or CDE
contract, received vouchers to cover the
cost of subsidized children, or received
no public dollars. As shown in Table
3.2, contracted programs employed the
most diverse pool of teachers, assistant
teachers, and directors, followed by
programs receiving vouchers to cover the
costs of subsidized children. Programs
receiving no public funds were least likely
to employ teachers, assistant teachers or
directors of color.
In addition to looking at the
percentage of teachers of various
ethnicities among types of programs, it
is helpful to consider the percentage of
centers of a particular type that employ at
least one teacher from a particular ethnic
group. Depending on their relationship to
public subsidy, centers may vary not only
in the percentage of their teachers who
are Latina, but also in regard to whether
they employ at least one Latina teacher.
We found that a similar proportion of
contracted programs (65.9 percent)
and voucher programs (65.5 percent)
employed at least one Latina teacher,
compared to programs receiving no public
dollars (45.3 percent).
The ethnic composition of center
staff differed significantly among regions
of the state. (See Table 3.1.) To some
extent, these regional differences reflected
differences in ethnicity for the adult
female population as a whole. Northern
California, for example, had a greater
proportion of White, Non-Hispanics,
and Central and Southern California had
a greater proportion of Latinas, in their
overall female population and in their
teacher and assistant teacher populations
than did other regions of the state. More
than four-fifths of teachers (83.1 percent)
and 72.8 percent of assistant teachers in
Northern California were White, NonHispanic, but about one-half of teachers in
Central and Southern California (Central,
54.8 percent; Southern, 49.5 percent), and
about one-third of assistant teachers in
Central and Southern California (Central,
35.4 percent; Southern, 31.8 percent),
were White, Non-Hispanic. More than
one-third of teachers and one-half of
assistants in Central California were
Latina, nearly double the percentage
of Latina teachers and assistants in
the Bay Area, and nearly three times
the percentage of Latina teachers and
assistants in Northern California. Ethnic
differences among directors also reflected
regional patterns.
Linguistic Background
We also found that the population
of children served by California’s
licensed centers was characterized by
great linguistic diversity. The language
backgrounds of young children is based
on 2004-05 data from the California
Department of Education (CDE), which
reports that slightly more than one-third
of kindergarteners attending California
public schools in 2004-2005 spoke a
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Table 3.2. Estimated Ethnicity of Teachers, Assistant Teachers and Directors, By
Centers’ Relationship to Public Subsidy
Estimated percentage
Teachers
Assistant
teachers
Head Start/CDE
contract
Vouchers/No
contract
No vouchers/No
contract
White, Non-Hispanic
33.9
54.3
66.2
Latina
40.2
26.1
17.3
African American
11.2
7.7
3.4
Asian/Pacific Islander
10.3
7.4
7.3
American Indian or Alaskan Native
0.6
0.2
0.3
Multiethnic
2.4
2.0
2.4
Other
1.3
2.3
3.0
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number of centers
10,028
20,990
12,272
White, Non-Hispanic
24.1
48.1
53.3
Latina
54.2
29.9
28.4
African American
10.0
7.4
4.1
Asian/Pacific Islander
8.1
7.7
8.9
American Indian or Alaskan Native
0.6
0.2
0.1
Multiethnic
1.1
2.3
1.8
Other
1.9
4.3
3.4
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number of centers
10,613
6,132
4,088
White, Non-Hispanic
49.5
63.7
75.0
Latina
26.5
14.6
8.8
African American
13.7
8.8
3.4
Asian/Pacific Islander
7.0
5.2
6.6
Directors American Indian or Alaskan Native
0.7
0.8
0.3
3.9
4.3
3.0
Multiethnic
Other
1.3
2.5
3.1
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number of centers
1,820
3,141
1,891
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
language other than English and were
classified as English Learners. Of
the 56 different languages spoken by
English Learners in California’s public
kindergarten classrooms, Table 3.3 lists
the 15 most commonly spoken. Directors
were asked whether they or any of their
teachers or assistant teachers could speak
fluently with children and families in
a language other than English. If they
answered affirmatively, they were asked
which language(s) they or their teaching
staff would be able to speak fluently with
children and families if necessary. Our
description of center staff fluency in
these other languages is based entirely
on directors’ assessments. Note that
the directors’ reports do not permit us
to assess whether those who spoke a
language other than English also spoke
English fluently.
Table 3.3. California Children in Public
Kindergarten, 2004-2005: 15 Most
Commonly Spoken Languages of
English Language Learners
Language
Spanish
Percentage
84.4
Vietnamese
2.9
Cantonese
1.6
Filipino (Pilipino or Tagalog)
1.3
Hmong
1.0
Korean
1.0
Mandarin (Putonghua)
0.9
Punjabi
0.7
Arabic
0.6
Armenian
0.5
Russian
0.5
Khmer (Cambodian)
0.4
Japanese
0.4
Farsi (Persian)
0.4
Hindi
0.3
N
170,559
Source: California Department of Education (2006).
As described below, there was a
great deal of language diversity among
center staff. Directors emerged as the
least, and assistant teachers as the most,
linguistically diverse group. About
one-quarter (25.2 percent) of directors,
36.5 percent of teachers, and 49.3
percent of assistants had the capacity to
communicate fluently with children and
families in a language other than English.
Not all centers, however, employed a
director, teacher or assistant teacher
with this capacity. Most centers (70.9
percent) did not employ a director who
could communicate fluently in a language
other than English with children and
families, but most employed at least one
teacher (71.6 percent) or assistant teacher
(66.1 percent) who could. When centers
employed at least one teacher or assistant
with this language capacity, it was
likely that the majority of their teachers
(53.8 percent, SE=0.9) and assistants
(70.7 percent, SE= 1.1) were able to
communicate fluently in a language other
than English.
Among those who spoke languages
other than English fluently with children
and families, the most commonly spoken
language was Spanish:
•
•
•
Among directors who spoke a language
other than English fluently, 70.1
percent spoke Spanish and 6.3 percent
spoke Chinese.
Among teachers who spoke a language
other than English fluently, 86.3
percent spoke Spanish and 10.1
percent spoke Chinese.
Among assistant teachers who spoke a
language other than English fluently,
80.3 percent spoke Spanish and 4.8
percent spoke Chinese.
The language backgrounds of teachers
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
and assistant teachers differed by region,
as it does for the female adult population
across the state. (See Table 3.4.) Centers
in Northern California were less likely,
and centers in Southern California were
more likely, than centers in all other
regions to employ at least one teacher
who spoke a language other than English.
Centers in Northern California were also
less likely than centers in other regions of
the state to employ at least one assistant
teacher who spoke a language other than
English fluently. As shown in Table 3.5,
among centers that employed at least one
teacher or assistant teacher who spoke
a language other than English fluently,
those in Northern California employed the
lowest percentage of teachers with such
language capacity.
The linguistic background of teachers,
assistant teachers, and directors also
varied among centers serving particular
groups of children. As shown in Tables
3.6 and 3.7, centers serving infants and
preschoolers were significantly more
likely than centers that did not serve
infants to employ at least one teacher
who spoke a language other than English
fluently. Among centers that employed
at least one teacher able to communicate
in a language other than or in addition to
English, centers serving infants employed
significantly fewer such teachers. There
were no significant language differences
among directors and assistants in centers
serving children of different ages.
Centers holding contracts with Head
Start or CDE were more likely than
centers receiving vouchers or receiving
no public funds to employ at least one
director, one teacher and one assistant
who spoke a language other than English
fluently. Among centers that employed
at least one director or teacher with the
capacity to communicate in a language
other than English, contracted centers
employed the greatest percentage of such
teachers and directors.
Turnover and Tenure
Center staff stability has been linked
to overall program quality, the ability
of a program to improve its quality, and
children’s social and verbal development
(Whitebook, Howes & Phillips, 1998;
Whitebook & Sakai, 2004). Turnover rates
provide one important index of center
workforce stability; namely, how much
change in staffing a center has undergone
in the previous year. Information on
tenure offers a longer-term perspective on
the level of staff stability over time within
centers.
In order to determine rates of
turnover, we asked directors to report the
number of teachers, assistant teachers
and directors who had left or stopped
working at their centers for any reason,
including leaves of absence, over the last
12 months. On average, 22.0 percent of
teachers, and 26.4 percent of assistant
teachers, were reported to have done so.
The range of turnover rates varied
considerably among centers. About onehalf of centers reported no turnover in
the previous 12 months among teachers
(47.6 percent) or assistant teachers (57.9
percent), whereas one-quarter of centers
reported turnover rates greater than 32
percent among teachers, and greater than
40 percent among assistant teachers. Ten
percent of centers reported that more
Turnover discussed in this report refers to job turnover, the
number of staff who leave employment at their centers over a
fixed period of time. Information about position turnover (i.e.,
changes of role while maintaining employment at the same
center) and occupational turnover (i.e., departure from the
child care field) was not collected in this study.
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Table 3.4. Estimated Percentage of Centers Employing at Least One Teacher,
Assistant Teacher or Director with the Capacity to Communicate Fluently in a
Language Other Than English: Statewide and By Region
Estimated percentage (SE)
Teachers*
Number of centers
Assistant teachers**
Number of centers
Directors
Number of centers
Statewide
Northern CA
Bay Area
Central CA
Southern CA
71.6
34.4
71.4
71.3
78.1
(1.1)
(2.6)
(2.2)
(2.1)
(1.6)
7,660
645
1,816
1,405
3,794
66.1
38.9
65.9
63.9
71.4
(1.4)
(3.2)
(2.9)
(2.7)
(2.1)
5,384
452
1,148
1,033
2,751
29.1
23.3
31.1
28.3
29.4
(1.4)
(3.2)
(2.8)
(2.6)
(2.1)
5,592
317
1,161
982
3,132
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
*p < .05, Northern CA < all other regions; Southern CA > all other regions.
**p < .05, Northern CA < all other regions.
Table 3.5. Estimated Mean Percentage of Teachers and Assistant Teachers with the
Capacity to Communicate Fluently in a Language Other Than English Employed, If
Center Employed At Least One Such Staff Person: Statewide and By Region
Estimated mean percentage per center (SE)
Teachers*
Number of centers
Assistant teachers**
Number of centers
Statewide
Northern CA
Bay Area
Central CA
Southern CA
53.8
44.9
51.4
52.4
56.0
(0.9)
(2.5)
(1.6)
(1.7)
(1.4)
5,482
222
1,297
1,001
2,962
70.7
61.1
69.3
74.1
70.9
(1.1)
(3.2)
(2.1)
(1.9)
(1.7)
3,556
176
757
660
1,963
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
*p < .05, Northern CA < Southern CA.
**p < .05, Northern CA < Central CA, Southern CA.
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Table 3.6. Estimated Percentage of Centers Employing at Least One Teacher,
Assistant Teacher or Director with the Capacity to Communicate Fluently in a
Language Other Than English: Statewide, and By Ages of Children Served and
Relationship to Public Subsidy
Estimated percentage (SE)
Teachers*,**
Number of centers
Assistant teachers***
Number of centers
Directors
Number of centers
Statewide
Centers
enrolling
infantsa
Centers
without
infants
Head
Start/CDE
contract
Vouchers/
No contract
No
vouchers/
No contract
71.6
82.2
68.0
77.8
74.4
61.0
(1.1)
(1.8)
(1.3)
(1.7)
(1.6)
(2.3)
7,660
1,920
5,740
2,288
3,172
2,200
66.1
70.1
64.5
86.1
56.0
53.1
(1.4)
(2.6)
(1.6)
(1.4)
(2.4)
(3.1)
5,384
1,461
3,923
1,928
2,124
1,333
29.1
35.6
26.3
40.1
26.7
21.9
(1.4)
(8.7)
(1.6)
(2.7)
(2.1)
(2.4)
5,592
1,720
3,872
1,560
2,514
1,517
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
a
Most of these centers also enroll older children,
*p < .05, Centers enrolling infant > Centers without infants
**p < .05, Head Start/CDE contract > vouchers/no contract, no vouchers/no contract; vouchers/no contract > no vouchers/no
contract.
*** p < .05. Head Start/CDE contract > vouchers/no contract, no vouchers/no contract.
Table 3.7. Estimated Mean Percentage of Teachers, Assistant Teachers and Directors
with the Capacity to Communicate Fluently in a Language Other Than English in
Centers Employing At Least One Such Staff Person: Statewide, By Ages of Children
Served and Relationship to Public Subsidy
Estimated mean percentage per center (SE)
Teachers*,**
Number of centers
Assistant teachers
Number of centers
Directors**
Number of centers
Statewide
Centers
enrolling
infantsa
Centers
without
infants
Head
Start/CDE
contract
Vouchers/
No contract
No
vouchers/
No contract
53.8
49.7
55.5
68.5
45.5
48.9
(0.9)
(1.8)
(1.1)
(1.5)
(1.3)
(1.9)
5,482
1,579
3,903
1,780
2,360
1,342
70.7
66.1
72.5
74.1
67.4
68.0
(1.1)
(2.1)
(1.3)
(1.5)
(1.9)
(2.8)
3,556
1,024
2,532
1,660
1,189
708
88.4
84.9
90.4
93.8
85.1
84.6
(1.2)
(2.2)
(1.4)
(1.4)
(2.1)
(3.0)
1,629
612
1,017
626
671
332
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
a
Most of these centers also enroll older children,
*p < .05, Centers enrolling infants < centers without infants.
**p < .05, Head Start/CDE contract > vouchers/no contract, no vouchers/no contract.
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Director turnover (17.9 percent)
was slightly lower than turnover among
teaching staff. The overwhelming majority
of centers (83.2 percent) reported no
director turnover in the previous 12
months.
As shown in Table 3.8, turnover varied
little across regions for all job titles.
As shown in Table 3.9, centers serving
infants reported higher levels of teacher
turnover than centers that did not serve
infants. Centers receiving no public
dollars reported lower rates of teacher
turnover than centers holding a contract
with Head Start or CDE, or centers
receiving public subsidy in the form of
vouchers. (See Table 3.9.)
To measure rates of tenure, we asked
directors to report how many teachers,
assistant teachers and directors at their
centers had been employed for less than
one year, from one to five years, or more
than five years. (See Table 3.10.)
Among various positions within
centers, directors were the most stable
group of employees, followed by teachers
and assistant teachers. (See Figure 3.7.)
Approximately three-fifths of directors
(59.1 percent) had been employed for
more than five years at their centers,
compared to 38.8 percent of teachers
and 23.9 percent of assistant teachers.
Only 30.8 percent of centers reported
employing at least one assistant teacher
for more than five years.
Tenure for teachers, assistant teachers
and directors also varied regionally and
by center characteristics. As shown in
Figure 3.7. Estimate Percentage of
Teachers, Assistant Teachers and
Directors Who Have Been Employed at
Their Centers for More than Five Years:
Statewide
70
59.1
60
50
Percentage
than 58 percent of teachers and more than
80 percent of assistant teachers had left
or stopped working at their centers during
the previous 12 months.
40
38.8
30
Percentage
23.9
20
10
0
Teachers
(n=43,915)
Assistant
teachers
(n=22,420)
Directors
(n=6,880)
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent
the population of licensed centers.
Table 3.10, centers in the Bay Area and
Southern California reported longer
average rates of tenure for teachers (as
measured by the percentage of teachers
employed at the center for more than
five years) than centers in other regions
of the state. When Los Angeles data
were excluded from Southern California,
however, tenure rates dropped somewhat
for that area. Assistant teachers followed
a similar pattern. By contrast, Northern
California centers reported the longest
average tenure for directors.
Staffing among directors, teachers
and assistant teachers was less stable, as
measured by both turnover and tenure, in
centers serving infants and preschoolers
than in centers not serving infants.
Turnover and tenure also differed among
centers with varying relationships to
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Table 3.8. Estimated Mean Percentage of Annual Job Turnover Among Teachers,
Assistant Teachers and Directors: Statewide and By Region
Estimated mean percentage (SE)
Teachers*
Number of centers
Assistant teachers
Number of centers
Directors
Number of centers
Statewide
Northern
CA
Bay Area
Central CA
Southern
CA w/ Los
Angeles
Southern
CA w/o Los
Angeles
22.0
20.8
18.1
22.1
24.0
24.9
(0.9)
(1.8)
(1.6)
(1.8)
(1.6)
(1.8)
7,722
647
1,837
1,412
3,826
2,065
26.4
29.7
22.3
32.1
25.4
27.5
(1.5)
(3.1)
(2.4)
(3.0)
(2.5)
(2.6)
5,534
450
1,208
1,068
2,808
1,492
17.9
18.3
15.0
21.3
17.9
20.7
(1.3)
(4.6)
(2.7)
(2.9)
(2.0)
(2.9)
5,590
317
1,165
985
3,123
1,696
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
*p < .05, Southern CA without Los Angeles > Bay Area.
Table 3.9. Estimated Mean Percentage of Annual Job Turnover Among Teachers,
Assistant Teachers and Directors: Statewide, By Ages of Children Served and
Relationship to Public Subsidy
Estimated mean percentage (SE)
Teachers*
Number of centers
Assistant teachers
Number of centers
Directors
Number of centers
Statewide
Centers
enrolling
infantsa
Centers
without
infants
Head
Start/CDE
contract
Vouchers/
No contract
No
vouchers/
No contract
22.0
28.7
19.7
22.9
25.9
15.6
(0.9)
(2.2)
(1.0)
(1.8)
(1.5
(1.3)
7,722
1,936
5,786
2,291
3,203
2,278
26.4
30.0
25.0
23.2
31.6
22.9
(1.5)
(2.9)
(1.8)
(1.6)
(3.2)
(2.2)
5,534
1,491
4,043
2,013
2,146
1,375
17.9
22.7
15.8
22.4
17.4
14.1
(1.3)
(3.1)
(1.5)
(3.1)
(2.1)
(2.0)
5,590
1,710
3,880
1,564
2,518
1,508
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
a
Most of these centers also enroll older children.
* p <.05 Centers enrolling infants > centers without infants. No vouchers/No contract < Head Start/CDE contract, vouchers/no
contract.
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Table 3.10. Estimated Percentages of Teachers, Assistant Teachers and Directors
With Different Rates of Tenure: Statewide and By Region
Estimated percentage
Teachers
Statewide
Northern
CA
Bay Area
Central
CA
Southern
CA w/ Los
Angeles
Southern
CA w/o Los
Angeles
< 1 year
16.0
18.5
12.8
18.8
16.3
17.2
1-5 years
45.2
49.3
45.5
49.1
43.5
45.4
>5 years
38.8
32.2
41.7
32.1
40.2
37.4
43,915
2,534
11,152
7,393
22,836
12,597
< 1 year
29.0
37.0
29.2
34.3
26.5
30.8
1-5 years
42.1
52.1
46.0
48.5
46.5
50.9
Number of teachers
Assistant
teachers
>5 years
23.9
10.9
24.7
17.2
27.0
18.3
22,420
1,440
4,462
3,649
12,869
6,166
< 1 year
9.3
6.4
7.7
10.5
9.9
10.2
1-5 years
31.6
28.1
33.6
31.6
31.1
32.7
>5 years
59.1
65.8
58.7
57.9
59.0
57.1
6,890
363
1,442
1,201
3,874
2,140
Number of assistant teachers
Directors
Number of directors
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
Table 3.11. Estimated Percentage of Teachers, Assistant Teachers and Directors With
Different Rates of Tenure, By Ages of Children Served and Centers’ Relationship to
Public Funding: Statewide
Estimated percentage
Teachers
Statewide
Centers
enrolling
infantsa
Centers
without
infants
Head
Start/CDE
contract
Vouchers/
No contract
No
vouchers/
No contract
< 1 year
16.0
20.0
13.4
12.7
18.3
14.6
1-5 years
45.2
50.4
42.0
42.8
48.8
41.3
>5 years
38.8
29.6
44.6
44.5
32.9
44.1
43,916
16,961
26,955
10,027
21,241
12,648
< 1 year
29.0
31.5
27.2
23.9
37.2
31.0
1-5 years
42.1
48.0
46.5
47.8
47.1
45.3
>5 years
23.9
20.5
26.3
28.3
15.7
23.7
22,420
9,339
13,081
11,836
6,244
4,340
< 1 year
9.3
10.3
8.8
15.4
6.3
8.7
1-5 years
31.6
38.1
28.2
41.5
30.6
23.7
>5 years
59.1
51.6
63.0
43.1
63.1
67.6
6,880
2,361
4,519
1,811
3,165
1,904
Number of teachers
Assistant
teachers
Number of assistant
teachers
Directors
Number of directors
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
a
Most of these centers also enroll older children.
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
public subsidy; teachers and assistant
teachers working in centers receiving
vouchers to serve children of low-income
families were less stable than those
working in centers with Head Start or
CDE contracts or in centers receiving
no public funds. Directors of centers
receiving vouchers, on the other hand,
were more likely than their counterparts
in other centers to have been on the job
for more than five years. (See Table 3.11.)
Wages
We sought to document the current
compensation of teachers and assistant
teachers working in California’s child care
centers licensed to serve infants and/or
preschoolers. Because of the length of the
survey, we focused our investigation on
two categories of teaching staff: teachers
with BA or higher degrees, and assistant
teachers. We did not collect information
about benefits such as health coverage or
retirement plans.
We asked directors to provide hourly
wages for their highest- and lowest-paid
teachers with a BA or higher degree. Our
intention was to document the pay rates
of those teachers with the highest level of
education. By asking for the lowest rate of
pay, we were able to capture what is likely
to be paid at a center to a new teacher
with a BA or higher degree. By asking for
the highest rate of pay, we were able to
gain a sense of the pay ladder available
to more tenured teachers with degrees.
We also asked directors to provide hourly
wages for their highest-paid assistant
teachers. We assumed that this amount
would reflect the wages of those assistants
who had been at the center for some
period of time, rather than new recruits.
Table 3.12 provides average highest
and lowest hourly wages paid to teachers
with BA or higher degrees across the state,
as well as by region. The lowest wages
($14.08) were, on average, over $2.00 an
hour less than the highest wages ($16.53).
Across regions, centers in the Bay Area
paid higher wages than other areas of the
state, followed by centers in Southern,
Central and Northern California,
somewhat reflecting regional variations
in the cost of living. The highest-paid
assistant teachers in the state earned, on
average, $10.21 per hour, with those in the
Bay Area earning the most, and those in
Northern California earning the least.
In addition to average wages, we
examined the distribution of wages among
highest- and lowest-paid teachers with BA
or higher degrees, and among assistant
teachers. Nearly one-quarter of centers
paid their highest-paid degreed teachers
less than $12.50 per hour (about $26,000
per year), and one-quarter of centers
paid assistant teachers less than $8.00
per hour (or $16,640 per year). Only
10 percent of centers paid their highestpaid teachers over $24.00 per hour (or
$49,920 per year), and only 10 percent of
centers paid their highest-paid assistant
teachers more than $14.00 per hour (or
$29,120).
We also examined whether centers
serving different groups of children
varied in their pay rates. (See Table 3.13.)
We found that in centers serving both
infants and preschoolers, the lowest-paid
and highest-paid teachers with BA or
higher degrees, as well as the assistant
teachers, earned less on average than their
counterparts in centers that did not serve
infants. Centers receiving public dollars
through vouchers paid lower wages to
teachers with BA or higher degrees and
assistant teachers than did programs
not receiving public dollars or programs
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Table 3.12. Estimated Mean Hourly Wages Paid to Teachers with BA or Higher
Degrees, and to Assistant Teachers: Statewide and By Region
Northern CA
Bay Area
Teachers with BA or
higher degree, highest
wage*
Central CA
Southern CA
Statewide
Northern CA
Bay Area
Teachers with BA or
higher degree, lowest
wage**
Central CA
Southern CA
Statewide
Northern CA
Bay Area
All assistants, highest
wage*
Central CA
Southern CA
Statewide
Estimated mean
hourly wage (SE)
Number of centers
$14.03
307
(3.9)
$18.62
1,089
(3.3)
$14.74
540
(4.3)
$16.22
1,764
(4.5)
$16.53
3,700
(2.5)
$12.52
309
(3.2)
$15.47
1,123
(2.4)
$13.51
543
(4.3)
$13.65
1,779
(0.3)
$14.08
3,754
(1.7)
$9.33
419
(1.3)
$11.80
1,101
(2.0)
$9.47
866
(1.5)
$9.89
2,372
(1.2)
$10.21
4,758
(0.8)
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
* p < .05. Bay Area > all other regions; Southern CA > Northern CA.
** p < .05. Bay area > all other regions.
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Table 3.13. Estimated Mean Hourly Wages Paid to Teachers with BA or Higher
Degrees and Assistant Teachers: Statewide, By Ages of Children Served and By
Centers’ Relationship to Public Subsidy
Head Start/CDE contract
Vouchers/No contract
Teachers with BA
or higher degree,
highest wage*,***
No vouchers/No contract
Centers enrolling infantsa
Centers without infants
Statewide
Head Start/CDE contract
Vouchers/No contract
Teachers with BA
or higher degree,
lowest wage*,**
No vouchers/No contract
Centers enrolling infantsa
Centers without infants
Statewide
Estimated mean
hourly wage (SE)
Number of centers
$19.60
888
(7.5)
$14.19
1,543
(2.5)
$17.21
1,269
(3.0)
$15.38
1,007
(4.7)
$16.96
2,693
(0.3)
$16.53
3,700
(2.5)
$17.15
881
(4.7)
$12.14
1,573
(1.9)
$14.36
1,300
(0.2)
$12.63
995
(2.5)
$14.60
2,759
(2.2)
$14.08
3,754
(0.2)
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
a
Most of these centers also enroll older children.
*p < .05. Centers enrolling infants < centers without infants.
**p < .05, Head Start/CDE contract > vouchers/no contracts, no vouchers/no contract; Vouchers/No contract < Head Start/CDE
contract, no vouchers/no contract.
***p < .05, Vouchers/No contract < Head Start/CDE contract, no vouchers/no contract.
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Table 3.13. Estimated Mean Hourly Wages Paid to Teachers with BA or Higher
Degrees and Assistant Teachers: Statewide, By Ages of Children Served and By
Centers’ Relationship to Public Subsidy
Head Start/CDE contract
Vouchers/No contract
All assistants,
highest wage*, **
No vouchers/No contract
Centers enrolling infantsa
Centers without infants
Statewide
Estimated mean
hourly wage (SE)
Number of centers
$11.21
1,477
(1.5)
$9.28
2,016
(1.0)
$10.49
1,264
(1.9)
$9.67
1,379
(1.3)
$10.42
3,378
(1.0)
$10.21
4,757
(0.8)
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
a
Most of these centers also enroll older children.
*p < .05. Centers enrolling infants < centers without infants.
**p < .05, Head Start/CDE contract > vouchers/no contracts, no vouchers/no contract; Vouchers/No contract < Head Start/CDE
contract, no vouchers/no contract.
***p < .05, Vouchers/No contract < Head Start/CDE contract, no vouchers/no contract.
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
holding Head Start or CDE contracts.
Contracted programs paid higher assistant
teacher wages, as well as higher average
wages to their highest-paid teachers with
BA or higher degrees.
Size of the Teacher, Assistant
Teacher and Director Workforce
in California Centers Licensed to
Serve Infants and/or Preschoolers
Directors were first asked to report
the overall number of teachers, assistant
teachers and directors employed in their
centers, and then to report how many
teachers and assistant teachers worked in
classrooms with infants and/or preschool
children, and how many worked in
classrooms with school-age children (if
any such children were enrolled in their
centers). The following section provides
information about:
•
•
•
•
the overall number of teachers
and assistant teachers working in
classrooms with children in centers
licensed to serve infants and/or
preschoolers;
the average number of teachers and
assistant teachers working in such
centers;
the overall number of directors
working in centers licensed to serve
infants and/or preschoolers; and
the average number of directors
working in such centers.
The weighted estimates provided
below are based on 89.0 percent of the
Assistant teachers and teachers working with school-age
children constituted approximately six percent of the teaching
staff workforce at these centers. We do not provide estimates
of the statewide numbers of school-age teachers and assistant
teachers employed in these programs, because we recognize
that these staff constitute only a small portion of the teaching
staff statewide working in programs to serve school-age
children, most of which do not serve younger children and
many of which are exempt from licensing.
centers licensed to serve infants and/or
preschoolers across the state. Between the
times when our sample was drawn and
when data were collected, 11.0 percent
of centers initially included in our center
population were no longer in business.
Assuming that at least some of the closed
centers were replaced by new centers, it
is likely that the estimate provided here
slightly undercounts the total members of
the teacher, assistant teacher and director
workforce.
Overall Number of Teachers, Assistant
Teachers and Directors Employed in
Centers Licensed to Serve Infants and/or
Preschoolers
As shown in Table 3.14, the teacher,
assistant teacher and director workforce
in California centers licensed to care for
infants and/or preschoolers comprised
74,117 members. An estimate of the total
workforce in these centers would also
include teachers and assistants working
with school-age children, and would
increase the estimate by approximately
12.0 percent. Because many centers
also employed cooks, custodians, social
workers, family support workers,
educational coordinators and office
staff (Brandon et al., 2002), the total
early care and education workforce
for centers licensed to serve infants
and/or preschoolers may approach or
even exceed 100,000 members. The
proportion of teachers, assistant teachers
and directors employed within each
region were similar to the proportions for
the state as a whole.
As shown in Figure 3.8, the
distribution of teachers, assistant teachers
and directors varied considerably across
regions, as would be expected, given
variations in overall population density.
More than one-half of all teachers,
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Figure 3.8. Estimated Percentage
of Assistant Teachers, Teachers and
Directors Who Work with Infants and/or
Preschool Children: By Region
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
57.8
16.2
52.3
56.4
16.7
17.4
19.7
25.3
20.9
6.3
5.7
5.3
Assistant
teachers
(n=22,630)
Teachers
(n=44,580)
Directors
(n=6,907)
Northern CA
Central CA
Bay Area
Southern CA
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent
the population of licensed centers.
assistant teachers and directors were
employed in the Southern California
region, whereas less than 10 percent were
employed in Northern California.
As shown in Table 3.15, centers
enrolling infants as well as preschoolers
employed a little more than one-third
of all teachers, assistant teachers and
directors, with the remaining staff
employed in centers that did not enroll
infants. Centers serving infants as well
as preschoolers did not differ from those
not serving infants, however, with respect
to the proportion of their staff who were
teachers, assistant teachers or directors.
Table 3.16 shows the statewide
distribution of teachers, assistant teachers
and directors employed across centers
based on the centers’ subsidy status.
More than one-half of all assistant
teachers in the state (53.1 percent),
but only 22.8 percent of teachers, were
employed in centers holding a Head
Start or CDE contract. In contrast, 48.3
percent of all teachers in the state, but
only 27.6 percent of assistant teachers,
were employed in centers receiving public
dollars through vouchers. Based on their
relationship to public subsidy, centers
varied with respect to the proportion of
their staff who were teachers, assistant
teachers or directors, as shown in Table
3.17.
Average Number of Teachers, Assistant
Teachers and Directors Employed in
Centers Licensed to Serve Infants and/or
Preschoolers
As shown in Table 3.18, we estimate
that centers in California licensed to serve
infants and/or preschoolers employed,
on average, six teachers, three assistant
teachers and one director. On average,
the vast majority of teachers (93.2
percent, SE =0.4) and assistant teachers
(93.5 percent, SE =0.6) in these programs
worked with infants and/or preschoolers.
The other teachers and assistant teachers
worked with school-age children.
Table 3.19 shows the average numbers
of teachers and assistant teachers in
centers with different relationships to
public subsidy. Contracted centers, on
As described in the introduction of this report,
contracted centers operate under more stringent ratio and
staff qualification regulations; indeed, assistant teacher
qualifications in contracted programs match or exceed those of
teachers required by licensing in non-contracted programs.
Note that 14 percent of centers had more than one director,
57.2 percent of centers had one director, and 28.6 percent of
centers had no person who served only as an administrative
director. In many of the latter centers, the person with director
responsibilities was also a teacher. Output. Num Dir Freq
021506
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Table 3.14. Estimated Distribution of Assistant Teachers, Teachers and Directors
Who Work with Infants and Preschool Children: Statewide
Statewide
Assistant teachers
Teachers
Directors
Total
22,630
44,580
6,907
74,117
30.5
60.2
9.3
100.0
Total number
Percentage
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
Table 3.15. Estimated Number and Percentage of Assistant Teachers, Teachers
and Directors Who Work with Infants and Preschool Children, By Ages of Children
Served: Statewide
Centers enrolling
infantsa
Total Number
Centers without
infants
Total Number
All centers
Percentage
Assistant teachers
Teachers
Directors
9,339
17,157
2,373
41.3
38.5
34.4
13,291
27,423
4,534
58.7
61.5
65.6
Total Number
22,630
44,580
6,907
Percentage
100.0
100.0
100.0
Percentage
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
a
Most of these centers also enroll older children.
Table 3.16. Estimated Number and Percentage of Assistant Teachers, Teachers and
Directors Who Work with Infants and Preschool Children, By Centers’ Relationship to
Public Subsidy: Statewide
Assistant Teachers
Teachers
Directors
12,011
10,167
1,824
53.1
22.8
26.4
6,258
21,536
3,165
Head Start/CDE
contract
Total number
Vouchers/No
contract
Total number
Percentage
27.6
48.3
45.8
No vouchers/No
contract
Total number
4,361
12,877
1,918
All centers
Percentage
Percentage
19.3
28.9
27.8
Total number
22,630
44,580
6,907
Percentage
100.0
100.0
100.0
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Table 3.17. Estimated Number and Percentage of Assistant Teachers, Teachers and
Directors Who Work with Infants and Preschool Children: Statewide and By Centers’
Relationship to Public Subsidy
Assistant teachers
Teachers
Directors
Total
22,630
44,580
6,907
74,117
30.5
60.2
9.3
100.0
12,011
10,167
1,824
24,002
All centers
statewide
Total number
Head Start/CDE
contract
Total number
Percentage
50.0
42.4
7.6
100.0
Vouchers/No
contract
Total number
6,258
21,536
3,165
30,959
Percentage
20.2
69.6
10.2
100.0
No vouchers/No
contract
Total number
4,361
12,877
1,918
19,156
Percentage
22.8
67.2
10.0
100.0
Percentage
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
Table 3.18. Estimated Mean Number
of Assistant Teachers, Teachers and
Directors Employed by Centers:
Statewide
Estimated mean (SE)
Assistant
teachers
Teachers
Directors
All staff
Infant/preschool
teaching staff
3.1
2.89
(1.5)
(0.2)
6.2
5.7
(1.1)
(0.1)
0.9
(0.2)
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to
represent the population of licensed centers.
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Table 3.19. Estimated Mean Number of Teachers and Assistant Teachers Employed
by Centers: Statewide, and By Centers’ Relationship to Public Subsidy
Estimated mean number (SE)
Assistant teachers*
Number of centers
Teachers**
Number of centers
Head Start/CDE contract
Vouchers/No contract
No vouchers/No contract
5.3
2.1
2.1
(4.3)
(1.1)
(1.6)
2,342
3,235
2,277
4.6
7.3
6.1
(1.8)
(1.8)
(0.2)
2,346
3,235
2,277
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
*p < .05. Head Start/CDE contract > vouchers/no contract, no vouchers/no contract.
**p < .05, Head Start/CDE contract < vouchers/no contract, no vouchers/no contract; No vouchers/no contract < vouchers/no
contract.
average, employed fewer teachers and
more assistant teachers than centers
receiving public dollars through vouchers
or those receiving no public dollars.
Centers receiving no public dollars also
employed fewer teachers than those
centers receiving public dollars through
vouchers.
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
What are the characteristics of children in California child care
centers licensed to serve infants and/or preschoolers?
In California, approximately 65,000 teachers and assistants care for and educate
approximately one-half million children in centers licensed to serve infants and/or
preschoolers. Approximately 90 percent of the children cared for in these centers
are not yet in kindergarten, and two-thirds are between the ages of three and five.
Seven percent are children under age two, about 12 percent are age two, and about
10 percent are in kindergarten or a higher grade. Less than five percent of children in
these centers are reported by directors to have special needs.
Nearly 75 percent of centers report caring for at least one child who receives
public child care assistance. Forty percent of centers receive public dollars in the form
of vouchers, and one-third of centers receive public dollars through a contract with
Head Start or the California Department of Education, to cover the cost of care for the
subsidized children they serve. Centers vary considerably in size, with one-quarter
enrolling 36 or fewer children and one-quarter enrolling over 90 children.
As shown in Table 3.20, licensed
California child care centers provided
services in 2005 to an estimated 485,355
infants and/or preschoolers not yet in
kindergarten. In addition, these centers
cared for 57,443 children in kindergarten
or a higher grade.10 Table 3.20 also
presents a distribution by age group
of the estimated numbers of children
enrolled.11 Approximately 70 percent of
these children were preschoolers, ages
three to five, 19.1 percent were two years
old or younger, and 10.5 percent were in
kindergarten or older.
•
Center directors were asked about the
number of children in various age groups
that their centers enrolled, and they
reported a variety of age configurations:
•
10 This figure does not include centers licensed exclusively to
serve school-age children.
11 The licensed capacity of a center (the number of children
it is approved to serve) may be less than or greater than actual
number of children enrolled. Some centers, for example, may
choose to enroll fewer children than permitted in their space,
or may not be able to find enough children to reach their full
capacity. Alternately, some centers may enroll children in
part-day sessions, and thus serve a higher overall number of
children but never exceed their licensed capacity at any given
time.
•
•
•
Virtually all centers (97.4 percent,
SE=0.4) reported caring for children
between the ages of three and five.
Twelve percent (SE=0.7) reported
caring for children across the entire
age span from infancy through schoolage. Centers enrolling at least one
subsidized child through a voucher
(22.8 percent, SE=1.6) were the most
likely to care for children across the
age span.
About two-fifths (42.6 percent,
SE=1.2) reported caring for at least
one child attending kindergarten or a
higher grade.
Only one-quarter of centers (24.9
percent, SE=0.7) enrolled children
under two, and less than one
percent of centers enrolled infants
exclusively.12
Slightly less than two-thirds of centers
(63.8 percent, SE=1.1) enrolled twoyear-old children.
The percentages of two-year-old
12 Some centers that do not have an infant license, have the
Toddler Option within their preschool license. This allows
them to serve children under two years.
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Table 3.20. Estimated Number of
Children Enrolled in California Child
Care Centers Licensed to Serve Infants
and/or Preschoolers
Number enrolled
(weighted data)
Under age 2
36,783
Age 2
66,907
Ages 3 to 5, not yet in
kindergarten
381,665
Ages 5 or younger, not in
kindergarten
485,355
Ages 5 or older, in
kindergarten or higher grade
57,443
All age spans
Children with special needs
542,798
21,854
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to
represent the population of licensed centers.
children and those younger than two
varied somewhat across regions. As
shown in Table 3.21, centers in Southern
California were slightly more likely to
care for at least one child under two than
were centers in the Bay Area or Northern
California. Centers in Northern California
were less likely than centers in other parts
of the state to care for two-year-olds, and
centers in Central California were less
likely to care for at least one two-year-old
than were centers in Southern California.
Table 3.22 shows the average number
of children by age enrolled in centers
statewide and by region, and indicates
regional differences.
Centers varied considerably in terms
of the overall number of children enrolled.
Approximately 25 percent of centers
enrolled 36 or fewer children, and about
25 percent enrolled 93 children or more.
On average, centers enrolled 69.0 children
across the entire age span (SE=1.0), and
61.7 infants and/or preschoolers (SE=1.1).
As shown in Table 3.23, the average
overall number of enrolled children
varied by region. On average, Southern
California centers enrolled more children
and Northern California centers enrolled
fewer children than centers in other
regions.
Centers and Public Dollars for Child
Care Assistance
Centers subsidize the cost of services
for children enrolled in their programs
as a condition of a contract the center
holds with Head Start or the California
Department of Education (CDE), or by
accepting vouchers available to families
through CalWorks and Alternative
Payment Program funding. Thus, to
determine whether programs enrolled any
children who received public child care
assistance, we asked whether the program
held a contract with Head Start or CDE,
or enrolled at least one child who received
a voucher. We estimate that nearly 75
percent of centers in California licensed
to serve infants and/or preschoolers
enrolled at least one subsidized child.
About one-third of centers (29.9 percent)
held a contract with Head Start or CDE.
(See Table 3.24.) Of the centers that did
not have a Head Start or CDE contract,
58.7 percent reported enrolling at least
one child who received a voucher. These
centers represented 41.2 percent of all
centers in our sample.
In centers that held contracts with
Head Start or CDE, most if not all children
received public assistance for child care.13
Since vouchers “follow” specific children,
however, centers without contracts that
reported enrolling at least one child
receiving public child care assistance
may or may not have enrolled additional
13 These centers may also accept vouchers, but we did not
explore whether this was the case, as we knew that most
enrolled children were subsidized.
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Table 3.21. Estimated Percentage of Centers Serving at Least One Child in Various
Age Groups: Statewide and by Region
Estimated percentage (SE)
Statewide
Northern CA
Bay Area
Central CA
Southern CA
24.1
22.0
23.1
24.2
26.6
(0.7)
(1.3)
(1.3)
(1.2)
(1.2)
1,921
339
437
460
685
63.8
48.4
63.4
57.8
68.9
(1.1)
(2.5)
(2.2)
(2.2)
(1.7)
Number of centers
1,907
338
432
457
680
Ages 3 to 5, not yet in
kindergarten
97.5
96.5
98.2
97.0
97.6
(0.4)
(0.9)
(0.6)
(0.8)
(0.6)
Number of centers
1,919
339
436
460
684
Ages 5 or older, in
kindergarten or higher grade
42.6
42.6
39.5
40.3
44.8
(1.2)
(2.7)
(2.3)
(2.3)
(2.0)
Number of centers
1,915
338
435
459
683
Under Age 2*
Number of centers
Age 2**
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
* p < .05. Southern CA > Bay Area, Northern CA.
** p < .001. Northern CA < all other regions; Central CA < Southern CA.
Table 3.22. Estimated Mean Number of Children Served, by Age Group: Statewide
and by Region (Includes only those centers that care for at least one child in that age
range)
Estimated mean number of children served (SE)
Under Age 2
Number of centers
Statewide
Northern CA
Bay Area
Central CA
Southern CA
18.8
17.3
17.2
21.4
18.8
(1.0)
(2.5)
(1.4)
(1.8)
(1.6)
1,955
426
144
351
1,034
13.5
10.6
13.5
13.8
13.7
(0.4)
(0.8)
(0.7)
(0.8)
(0.5)
Number of centers
4,975
1,165
316
834
2,659
Ages 3 to 5, not yet in
kindergarten*
49.9
37.2
46.2
47.6
54.6
(0.8)
(1.4)
(1.4)
(1.5)
(1.4)
Number of centers
7,653
1,820
632
1,408
3,793
Ages 5 or older, in
kindergarten or higher
grade*
17.23
12.9
16.7
16.4
18.4
(0.7)
(1.2)
(1.5)
(1.2)
(1.0)
Number of centers
3,334
732
278
584
1,740
Age 2*
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
* p < .05. Northern CA < Southern CA, Central CA.
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Table 3.23. Estimated Mean Number of Children Served: Statewide and by Region
Estimated mean number of children served (SE)
Statewide
All age spans*
Number of centers
Ages 5 or younger, not
in kindergarten*
Number of centers
Northern CA
Bay Area
Central CA
Southern CA
69.0
49.4
64.5
64.7
76.0
(1.0)
(2.1)
(2.0)
(1.9)
(1.9)
7,754
651
1,824
1,434
3,845
61.7
44.1
57.9
58.4
67.7
(1.1)
(1.9)
(1.7)
(1.7)
(1.7)
7,780
653
1,833
1,437
3,857
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
* p < .05. Southern CA > all other region; Northern CA < all other regions.
Table 3.24. Estimated Percentage of
Centers That Receive Public Dollars:
Statewide
Estimated
percentage
(SE)
Number of
centers
Head Start/CDE
contract
29.9
2,346
Vouchers/No
contract
41.2
No vouchers/No
contract
(1.1)
3,235
(1.2)
29.0
2,277
(1.1)
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to
represent the population of licensed centers.
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Table 3.25. Estimated Mean Percentage of Subsidized Children Enrolled in Centers
Receiving Vouchers: Statewide and by Region
Estimated mean percentage (SE)
Statewide
Northern CA
Bay Area
Central CA
Southern CA
Children receiving
voucher subsidy*
17.6
17.1
12.4
21.5
18.5
(0.8)
(1.4)
(1.1)
(1.7)
(1.3)
Number of centers
3,195
278
689
581
1,647
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
* p < .05. Central CA > Bay Area, Southern CA.
subsidized children. We therefore asked
directors who reported enrolling at least
one subsidized child through a voucher,
how many such children they enrolled. We
were thus able to calculate the percentage
of children receiving public child care
assistance in programs that enrolled at
least one child with a voucher.
On average, in centers that cared for
at least one child receiving a child care
voucher, 17.6 percent of children (SE=0.8)
enrolled in that center received this type
of assistance. There was considerable
variation in the percentage of children
enrolled in centers that received vouchers.
Approximately 25 percent of centers
enrolled 4.2 percent or fewer children
on vouchers, while 50 percent of centers
enrolled 10 percent or fewer children,
and 25 percent enrolled 25 percent or
more children. Centers enrolling infants
reported a higher average percentage
of children on vouchers (23.3 percent,
SE=1.5) than did centers caring for
no children under two (14.4 percent,
SE=0.8). As shown in Table 3.25, the
average percentage of children enrolled
in centers receiving public dollars in
the form of vouchers varied by region.
Centers in Central California cared for the
highest average percentage of children on
vouchers.
Head Start or CDE, did not hold a contract
but accepted public vouchers for children
of low-income families, or did not receive
any public dollars. As shown in Tables
3.26 and 3.27, however, the percentage
of centers caring for children of different
ages, and the number of children in
each age group enrolled, differed by
centers’ subsidy status. Generally, centers
receiving public dollars in the form of
vouchers were the most likely to enroll
children across the age span.
We estimate that the majority of
licensed California child care centers (55.9
percent, SE=1.2) were private nonprofit
agencies. Public agencies (e.g., school
districts) operated 16.4 percent (SE=0.9)
of centers, and for-profit agencies
constituted 27.7 percent (SE=1.1) of
centers. As shown in Table 3.28, there was
some variation across regions with respect
to programs operating under different
auspices. Centers that held a Head Start
or CDE contract were more likely to be
publicly operated, and less likely to be forprofit, than other types of centers. Centers
receiving no public dollars were more
likely to be for-profit than centers holding
a Head Start or CDE contract, but less
likely to be for-profit than centers serving
children with vouchers.
Average center size did not vary by
whether a center held a contract with
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Table 3.26. Percentage of Centers Serving at Least One Child in Various Age Groups:
Statewide and by Centers’ Relationship to Public Subsidy
Estimated percentage (SE)
Under Age 2*
Number of centers
Age 2**
Number of centers
Statewide
Head Start/
CDE contract
Vouchers/No
contract
No vouchers/
No contract
24.1
20.0
35.8
14.5
(0.7)
(1.6)
(1.6)
(1.6)
1,921
624
780
517
63.8
36.9
86.9
58.9
(1.1)
(2.1)
(1.3)
(2.3)
1,907
619
775
513
97.5
95.0
95.5
98.7
(0.4)
(0.9)
(0.5)
(0.7)
Number of centers
1,919
624
780
515
Ages 5 or older, in kindergarten or
higher grade**
42.6
22.1
63.2
34.4
(1.2)
(1.9)
(1.9)
(2.3)
Number of centers
1,915
623
775
517
Ages 3 to 5, not yet in kindergarten*
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
* p < .05. Vouchers/No contract > Head Start/CDE contract, no vouchers/no contract.
** p < .001. Vouchers/No contract > Head Start/CDE contract, no vouchers/no contract; No vouchers/No contract > Head Start/
CDE contract.
Table 3.27. Estimated Mean Number of Children Served by Age Group: Statewide
and by Centers’ Relationship to Public Subsidy (Includes only those centers that care
for at least one child in that age range)
Estimated mean number of children served (SE)
Statewide
Head Start/
CDE contract
Vouchers/No
contract
No vouchers/
No contract
18.8
20.1
17.9
20.2
(1.0)
(2.0)
(1.0)
(4.0)
1,955
466
1,158
331
13.5
13.2
13.5
13.4
(0.4)
(0.9)
(0.4)
(0.9)
4,975
856
2,791
1,328
49.9
55.8
45.0
50.8
(0.8)
(1.7)
(1.1)
(1.5)
Number of centers
7,653
2,229
3,187
2,237
Ages 5 or older, in kindergarten or
higher grade**
17.23
24.9
16.0
15.3
(0.7)
(2.0)
(0.8)
(1.3)
Number of centers
3,334
516
2,034
784
Under Age 2
Number of centers
Age 2
Number of centers
Ages 3 to 5, not yet in kindergarten*
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
*p < .05, Vouchers/No contract < Head Start/CDE contract, no vouchers/no contract.
**p < .05, Head Start/CDE contract > vouchers/no contract, no vouchers/no contract.
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Table 3.28. Estimated Percentage of Center Auspices: Statewide, Within Region and
by Centers’ Relationship to Subsidy
Estimated Percentage (SE)
Statewide
Northern CA
Bay Area
By region*
Private nonprofit
Public
For-profit
Total
Number
of centers
55.9
16.4
27.7
100.0
1,921
(1.2)
(0.9)
(1.1)
45.4
24.8
26.8
100.0
339
(2.7)
(2.3)
(2.4)
57.0
11.0
32.0
100.0
437
(2.4)
(1.5)
(2.2)
100.0
460
100.0
685
100.0
624
100.0
780
100.0
517
54.5
21.9
23.5
(2.3)
(1.9)
(1.9)
57.1
15.5
27.4
(2.0)
(1.4)
(1.8)
Head Start/CDE
contract
48.0
48.7
3.28
(2.1)
(2.2)
(0.7)
By
Vouchers/No
relationship
contract
to subsidy**
No vouchers/No
contract
51.1
2.47
46.4
(1.9)
(0.5)
(1.9)
70.7
2.86
26.4
(2.1)
(0.8)
(2.1)
Central CA
Southern CA
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
* p < .05, Public: Bay Area < Northern CA, Central; Southern CA < Northern CA. For-profit: Bay Area > Central.
** p < .05, Private non-profit: No vouchers/No contract > Head Start/CDE contract, vouchers/no contract. Public: Head Start/
CDE contract > Vouchers/No contract, no vouchers/no contract. For-profit: Vouchers/No contract > Head Start/CDE contract,
no vouchers/no contract; No vouchers/No contract > Head Start/CDE contract.
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Children with Special Needs
Center directors were asked how many
children (if any) with disabilities, or with
special emotional or physical needs, were
enrolled in their centers.14 As a result,
we estimate that 55.8 percent (SE=1.2)
of California’s centers licensed to serve
infants and/or preschoolers care for
children with special needs. On average,
children with special needs constituted
eight percent (SE=0.3) of the child
population in centers that enrolled at
least one such child. Only one-quarter of
centers reported that six percent or more
of their children had special needs, and
only one percent of centers reported that
children with special needs constituted
one-third or more of all the children
enrolled.
their enrolled children who had special
needs. Centers that received public
funding to serve children of low-income
families through a Head Start or CDE
contract were more likely to care for at
least one child with special needs than
were centers that received public funding
only through vouchers or did not care
for any subsidized children. (See Table
3.29.) Centers with a Head Start or CDE
contract also reported enrolling a higher
percentage of children with special needs,
in part reflecting these centers’ mandate
to do so, as shown in Table 3.30.
There were no significant differences
by region in the percentage of centers that
reported enrolling at least one child with
special needs. Centers serving infants
as well as older children were no more
likely to enroll children with special needs
than were centers serving only children
under age two. The average percentage of
children with special needs cared for by
centers enrolling at least one such child,
whether the center did or did not care for
infants as well as older children, also did
not vary by region.
Depending on whether, and through
which vehicle, they served subsidized
children, centers differed in whether
they enrolled any children with special
needs, as well as in the percentage of
14 Interviewees were told, “By disabilities or special
needs, we mean any child who is protected by the American
with Disabilities Act (ADA).” If the interviewee asked for
clarification, interviewers added, “This would include children
who are considered at-risk of a developmental disability, or
who may not have a specific diagnosis but whose behavior,
development, and/or health affect their family’s ability to find
and maintain services.”
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Table 3.29. Estimated Percentage of Centers that Care for At Least One Child with
Special Needs: Statewide and by Centers’ Relationship to Public Subsidy
Estimated percentage (SE)
No children with special
needs
Statewide
Head Start/CDE
contract
Vouchers/No
contract
No vouchers/No
contract
44.2
28.5
47.4
55.4
(1.2)
(2.0)
(2.0)
(2.4)
At least one child with
special needs*
55.8
71.5
52.6
44.6
(1.2)
(2.0)
(2.0)
(2.4)
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number of centers
1,889
608
770
511
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
* p < .001. Head Start/CDE contract > vouchers/no contract, no vouchers/no contract.
Table 3.30. Estimated Mean Percentage of Children with Special Needs Served:
Statewide and by Centers’ Relationship to Public Subisidy (Includes only those
centers that care for at least one child with special needs)
Estimated mean percentage (SE)
Statewide
Head Start/CDE
contract
Vouchers/No
contract
No vouchers/No
contract
Children with special needs
served*
8.0
10.4
6.7
6.3
(0.3)
(0.5)
(0.5)
(0.7)
Number of centers
4,311
1,626
1,682
1,003
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
*p < .05, Head Start/CDE contract > vouchers/no contract, no vouchers/no contract.
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
What is the level of educational attainment and early childhood
development-related training among teachers, assistants and
directors in California’s child care centers?
Compared to California’s overall female population, teachers working in centers
enrolling infants and/or preschoolers are more likely to have attended college and/or
completed a two-year degree. They are equally likely to have completed a four-year or
higher college degree, and less likely to have completed high school only.
One-quarter of teachers have completed a four-year or graduate degree, and
slightly more than one-quarter have completed a two-year degree, typically with an
early childhood focus. Forty percent of centers, however, do not employ any teachers
with a four-year or higher degree.
Assistant teachers in California are also more likely than the average female in
the state to have attended college and/or completed a two-year degree, but they are
less likely to have obtained a four-year or higher degree. Assistant teachers have
lower levels of degree attainment than teachers or directors. Approximately one-half
of assistant teachers have completed from one to 23 college credits related to early
childhood development. Only 12 percent have completed neither college credits nor a
degree related to early childhood.
More than three-quarters of directors have completed a two-year, four-year
or higher degree, typically with an early childhood focus. Directors are more than
twice as likely as teachers to have completed a four-year or higher degree, and have
completed associate degrees at roughly the same rate as teachers.
The majority of degree holders have completed a degree related to early childhood
development. Approximately one-quarter of those with BA or higher degrees obtained
their degree through a foreign institution.
Across the state, about one-third of teachers and one-quarter of assistant teachers
employed in counties with a CARES or similar program are current participants in
it. About two-thirds of centers report employing at least one teacher who is a CARES
participant, and about one-third report employing at least one assistant teacher who
is a CARES participant. Within such centers, typically about two-thirds of teachers
and assistants are participating.
Just over one-half of all teachers with an AA or higher degree hold a Child
Development Permit, and just over one-half of all directors hold a Site Supervisor
Permit. About one-quarter of teachers and one-third of directors with a BA or higher
degree have a teaching credential (as opposed to a Child Development Permit) issued
by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Research has indicated that the
presence of better-trained adults
enhances the quality of child care services
for children (Whitebook & Sakai, 2004;
Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000). Because of
the critical role that teachers’ skill and
knowledge play in promoting children’s
optimal development, considerable effort
and investment have been devoted to
encouraging and supporting teachers,
assistants and directors to pursue
professional development through
CARES and other programs. With the
movement toward expansion of publicly
funded preschool services, there is also
an increased need to assess the size of
the task of recruiting and preparing
a sufficient number of teachers and
assistants who meet higher educational
and training standards – i.e., a bachelor’s
(BA) degree and early childhood
certification for teachers, and 48 college
credits for assistant teachers. While not all
teachers and assistants in publicly funded
preschools will be drawn from the current
early care and education workforce, many
no doubt will come from its ranks. The
educational and training background of
the current workforce therefore becomes
an important factor in planning the
level of resources needed to ensure a
well-prepared workforce for preschool
classrooms.
Overall Educational Attainment of
Teachers, Assistants and Directors
As is true nationally (Herzenberg,
Price & Bradley, 2005), we found that
center-based teachers in California
typically had completed some college
credits, and were more likely than the
average adult woman in the state to have
done so. As shown in Figure 3.9, virtually
all teachers (99.6 percent) had completed
some college-level work, compared to
59.6 percent of adult women in California.
Teachers reported a higher completion
rate for an associate degree (27.8 percent)
than is true for the average adult female
in the state (8.3 percent). Teachers’
completion rates for BA or higher
degrees15 (25.1 percent) nearly matched
that of women in the state as a whole
(27.0 percent).
Not all centers employed teachers
with a four-year or higher degree; such
teachers were concentrated in 59.7
percent of centers. In centers that
employed at least one teacher with a fouryear or higher degree, 45.8 percent of
teachers, on average, held such degrees.
(See Table 3.31.) Nearly one-half of all
assistant teachers (48.8 percent) had
completed one to 23 college credits
related to early childhood development.
In centers employing at least one assistant
who had completed one to 23 credits,
73.4 percent of assistants, on average, had
done so.
As shown in Figure 3.10, the vast
majority of assistants (87.9 percent)
had also completed some college-level
work, and they were more likely than
the average female in the state to have
done so. Assistants had completed
two-year degrees at a higher rate (12.4
percent) than the average adult female
in California, but at a lower rate than
teachers. Assistants had completed fouryear or higher degrees at a lower rate (7.4
percent) than teachers or adult females in
the state.
Not all centers employed assistant
teachers with AA or higher degrees; such
assistants were concentrated in 36 percent
15 We asked directors whether teachers had obtained fouryear or higher degrees, but we did not collect independent
information on the percentage of teachers with graduate
degrees.
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Figure 3.9. Estimated Educational Attainment of Center Infant and Preschool Teachers
Compared to the California Female Adult Population: Statewide
50
46.7
45
40.4
40
Percentage
35
30
24.4
25
27.8
20
Percentage
15
27.0
8.3
10
5
25.1
0.4
0
High school diploma or
less
Some college
Teachers (n=43,499)
Associate degree
Bachelor's or higher
degree
CA female adult population
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
Table 3.31. Estimated Mean Percentage of Teachers and Assistants Employed in
Centers, By Education Level: Statewidea
Estimated mean percentage (SE)
No degree, no
college ECE
credits
Teachers
Number of centers
Assistant teachers
Number of centers
No degree, 1-23 No degree, 24+
ECE credits
ECE credits
Associate
degree
Bachelor's or
higher degree
0.3
42.3
47.2
44.3
45.8
(0.1)
(1.0)
(0.8)
(0.8)
(0.9)
7,674
2,553
4,555
5,256
4,582
61.7
73.4
54.9
44.4
46.7
(2.2)
(1.1)
(1.7)
(1.6)
(2.0)
1,198
3,531
1,826
1,373
973
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
a
Includes only centers with at least one staff member with that level of education.
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Figure 3.10. Estimated Educational Attainment of Center Infant and Preschool
Teachers, Assistant Teachers and Directors: Statewide
60
55.3
48.7
Percentage
50
40
30.1
30
Percentage
20
0.4
0
15.1
12.1
0.2
No degree, no
college ECE credits
26.1
25.1
19.4
16.6
10
27.8
12.4
7.4
3.3
No degree, 1-23
ECE credits
Teachers (n=43,499)
No degree, 24+
ECE credits
Associate degree
Assistant teachers (n=21,213)
Bachelor's or higher
degree
Directors (n=6,875)
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
of centers. In centers that employed at
least one assistant teacher with an AA or
higher degree, an average of 44.4 percent
(SE= 1.6) of assistants held AA degrees,
and 46.7 percent (SE=2.0) held BA or
higher degrees.
More than three-quarters of directors
had completed an AA or higher degree.
Over one-half of directors (55.3 percent)
had completed a BA or higher degree, as
shown in Figure 3.10. Slightly more than
one-quarter (26.1 percent) had completed
an AA degree. Overall, 60 percent of
centers had at least one director with a BA
or higher degree.
Degree Attainment Through a
Foreign Institution
Among the 25.0 percent of teachers
who had earned a four-year or higher
degree, 15.6 percent were reported to have
obtained it through a foreign institution.
These teachers were concentrated,
however, in 24.4 percent of the centers
across the state.
Among the approximately 20 percent
of assistants who had earned an AA or
higher degree, 12.1 percent had obtained it
through a foreign institution, according to
director reports. These assistant teachers
were concentrated in only 19.3 percent of
centers.
Over one-half (55.3 percent) of
directors had obtained four-year or
higher degrees. Of these, 9.0 percent had
obtained their degrees through a foreign
institution.
Education, Training and
Certification Related to Early
Childhood Development
Research findings on the contribution
of education and training to teaching staff
competence and sensitivity suggest that
formal higher education with a specific
focus in early care and education leads
to more effective care and teaching with
children (Barnett, 2003; Whitebook,
2003; Zaslow & Martinez-Beck, 2005).
Thus, another important aspect of
professional preparation is the extent
to which teachers and assistants have
received training, completed coursework,
or participated in activities specifically
focused on issues related to early
childhood development. Research also
suggests the important contribution
played by director education and stability
to overall center quality (Whitebook &
Sakai, 2004; Helburn, 1995). To acquire
a picture of the professional preparation
of teachers, assistants and directors, we
asked directors whether they or their
teaching staff:
1. had completed a two-year or fouryear degree related to early childhood
development;
2. had taken college courses related to
early childhood development if they
had not completed a two-year or fouryear degree; and/or
3. had participated in a professional
development program or obtained a
professional credential.
1) Degrees Related to Early Childhood
Development
We examined the percentage of
teachers, assistant teachers and directors
with AA and BA degrees whose degree was
related to early childhood development,
and whether those with an AA or BA
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degree were more likely to have completed
such a degree.
Overall, 25.1 percent of teachers had
completed a BA degree or higher, and
27.8 had completed an AA degree. Nearly
two-thirds of teachers with a BA or higher
degree (64.0 percent) and 82.6 percent of
teachers with an AA degree had obtained
an early childhood-related degree.
Overall, 20.1 percent of assistant
teachers had completed an AA, BA or
higher degree. More than one-half of
assistants with an AA or higher degree
(59.8 percent) had obtained a degree with
an early childhood focus.
Overall, 55.3 percent of directors
had completed a BA degree or higher,
and 26.1 percent had completed an AA
degree. Similar to teachers, 68.8 percent
of directors with a BA or higher degree
and 83.8 percent of directors with an AA
degree had obtained a degree related to
early childhood.
Among infant and preschool teachers
across all levels of educational attainment,
13.9 percent had earned a four-year
degree or higher with an early childhood
focus, and 20.2 percent had earned an
AA degree with an early childhood focus.
Among directors across all levels of
educational attainment, 37.5 percent had
earned a four-year degree or higher, and
21.7 percent had earned an AA degree,
with an early childhood focus.
2) College Credits Related to Early
Childhood Development
We were interested in knowing
the extent to which teachers, assistant
teachers and directors who had not
completed degrees had participated
in specialized early childhood-related
education, and thus examined what
percentage had completed from one to
23, or 24 or more, early childhood-related
college credits.
Slightly less than one-half of all
teachers across the state (47 percent) had
completed such college credits but had not
completed a degree. Thirty (30.1) percent
of teachers had completed 24 or more
credits, and 16.6 percent had completed
from one to 23 credits, of early childhoodrelated coursework. Less than one percent
of all teachers had completed neither a
college degree nor any college credits
related to early childhood.
Most assistant teachers (80.2 percent)
had not completed a two-year or higher
degree, but most had completed at
least some college credits related to
early childhood. Directors reported that
48.8 percent of assistant teachers had
completed from one to 23 credits, 19.4
percent had completed 24 or more credits,
and only 12.1 percent had completed
neither credits nor a degree.
Directors followed a similar pattern
to teachers, with most of those who
had not completed degrees having
completed 24 or more early childhoodrelated credits. Less than one-fifth (18.6
percent) of directors across the state had
not completed a degree. Fifteen (15.1)
percent of directors had completed 24 or
more credits, 3.3 percent had completed
less than 24 credits, and 0.2 percent had
completed neither a degree nor college
credits related to early childhood.
3) Participation in Professional
Development Activities or Certification
Another measure of professional
preparation is involvement with
professional development activities
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
and/or certification processes. We asked
directors:
•
•
•
whether they had heard of the CARES
program, if one operated in their
county, and whether their teachers or
assistants currently participated in it;
whether they or their teachers held a
Child Development Permit issued by
the California Commission on Teacher
Credentialing; and
whether they or their teachers held
a Teacher Credential issued by the
California Commission on Teacher
Credentialing and/or by an equivalent
agency in another state.
CARES
We asked directors working in
counties that operate a CARES or similar
program whether they were familiar with
it, and 78.2 percent of such directors were.
We then asked whether their teachers or
assistant teachers were currently CARES
participants, and across the counties that
operate such programs, directors reported
that 36.5 percent of teachers and 27.0
percent of assistant teachers were. More
than two-thirds of centers (68.4 percent,
SE =1.5) reported employing at least one
teacher who was a CARES participant,
and more than one-third of centers (38.4
percent, SE=1.8) reported employing
at least one assistant teacher who was
a CARES participant. In centers that
employed at least one CARES participant,
the majority of teachers (65.1 percent,
SE=1.2) and assistants (64.8 percent,
SE=1.8) appeared to be participants.
of education and specialized training.
These permits are required in programs
holding contracts with the California
Department of Education (CDE), and are
increasingly required of participants in
CARES programs. We asked directors
what percentage of their teachers and
assistant teachers with two- or four-year
degrees also held a permit.
About one-half (52.0 percent) of all
teachers with a BA or higher degree,
and 57.0 percent of teachers with an AA
degree, held a Child Development Permit,
according to directors’ reports. Among all
teachers with an AA or higher degree, 54.7
percent held a permit. More than twofifths (41.4 percent) of assistant teachers
with an AA or higher degree held a permit.
We did not collect information about
permits for non-degreed teachers.
Directors were asked whether they
held a Site Supervisor Permit intended
for program or site directors; 57.5 percent
of directors with a BA or higher degree,
and 44.5 percent of directors with an AA
degree, did so.
Teaching Credentials
A teaching credential, in contrast to a
Child Development Permit, requires the
holder to have completed a BA degree at
a minimum, and typically the equivalent
of a fifth year of college coursework. We
asked whether directors or teachers who
had completed a BA or higher degree held
a teaching credential issued by the State of
Child Development Permits
The California Commission on Teacher
Credentialing issues Child Development
Permits for teachers, assistant teachers
and directors that reflect different levels
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
California or another state.16
Among all teachers who had earned
a BA or higher degree, 23.5 percent
held a California teaching credential,
and 4.5 percent held a credential from
another state. Among all teachers in
the state (including those with BA or
higher degrees, or with lower levels of
educational attainment), 5.2 percent
held a California teaching credential.
Among all directors who had earned a
BA or higher degree, 33.2 percent held
a California teaching credential and 8.5
percent held one from another state.
16 See Bellm, Whitebook, Cohen & Stevenson (2004) for a
description of the credentialing options in California related
to early care and education. For this question, we did not ask
respondents to specify the type of credential that teachers
or directors held; thus, their answers could include early
childhood-related or K-12 credentials. While the Standard Early
Childhood Credential is no longer issued, the credential is still
honored, though not required as a condition of employment, in
most, if not all, settings.
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
How do levels of overall educational attainment, and
professional preparation related to early childhood
development, vary among teachers, assistant teachers and
directors employed in centers licensed to serve infants and/or
preschoolers?
Levels of education among teachers, assistant teachers and directors vary by
region, and generally follow the patterns of variation in educational attainment
among all adults in the state, with Bay Area centers being the most likely to employ at
least one teacher with a BA or higher degree.
Centers that enroll both infants and preschoolers report a somewhat lower
percentage of teachers with BA or higher degrees than those enrolling preschoolers but
no infants.
Educational attainment also varies by centers’ relationship to public subsidy.
Centers receiving public dollars through vouchers report a lower percentage of
teachers and directors who have obtained a BA or higher degree than all other centers.
Centers holding a Head Start or CDE contract report higher levels of AA degree
attainment among their teachers. Teachers in contracted centers are also the most
likely to hold a Child Development Permit.
Educational attainment varies by age among teachers, but not among assistant
teachers. Teachers with Bachelor’s or higher degrees are older, on average, than those
with less education.
Teachers’ educational attainment also varies by ethnicity and language: among
those with Bachelor’s or higher degrees, compared to the ethnic distribution among the
teacher population as a whole, White, Non-Hispanic and African American teachers
are represented proportionately, while Asian/Pacific Islanders are over-represented
and Latinas are under-represented. About 40 percent of Asian/Pacific Islander, 25
percent of White, Non-Hispanic, 20 percent of African American and 12 percent of
Latina teachers have completed a BA or higher degree. Latina, African American and
Asian/Pacific Islander teachers have attained BA or higher degrees at higher rates
than their counterparts in the overall state population, while White, Non-Hispanic
teachers are less likely to have earned a BA than White, Non-Hispanic California
adults.
With respect to linguistic capacity, teachers with AA degrees, on average, are
somewhat more likely than either teachers with BA or higher degrees, or teachers with
no degrees, to have the capacity to communicate with children in a language other
than English. Among assistant teachers, there is little or no variation by educational
attainment in the percentage of those who speak a language other than English
fluently.
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
In the previous section, we described
the educational attainment and
early childhood-related professional
development of center-based teachers,
assistants and directors employed in
centers licensed to serve infants and/or
preschoolers across California as a whole.
Here, we explore differences within the
workforce along these dimensions based
on:
•
•
•
•
•
the regions in which centers operate,
the ages of children enrolled in
centers,
whether centers receive public dollars
to care for children of low-income
families,
teaching staff compensation and
turnover in centers, and
such teacher, assistant teacher and
director demographic characteristics
as age, ethnicity and language
background.
Overall Educational Attainment, by
Region
Previous research in California has
identified variations at the county level
in educational attainment among centerbased staff (Whitebook et al., 2004). This
study has identified such variations at
the regional level.17 Figures 3.11 and 3.12
show educational attainment for teachers,
assistant teachers and directors by region.
We posed three questions with respect
to regional variation in educational
attainment:
1. Are patterns of educational attainment
among teachers, assistants and
17 Within regions, county variations may also exist, but this
study does not include county-level profiles. County-level
studies are available for Alameda, Los Angeles, Marin, Merced,
Mono, Sacramento, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Santa
Clara Counties at give link.
directors within the various regions
similar to the statewide pattern?
2. Within regions, are patterns of
educational attainment among
teachers, assistants and directors
similar to the patterns found among
the region’s overall female adult
population?
3. Across regions, does professional
preparation vary, as measured by
certification and early childhoodrelated degrees?
We examined whether the pattern
identified for the state as a whole held at
the regional level: namely, that teachers,
assistant teachers and directors were
more likely than other adult women in
the state to have completed some collegelevel work and/or a two-year college
degree, and that teachers were about as
likely, assistant teachers were less likely,
and directors were more likely than other
adult women to have obtained a four-year
or higher college degree.
Across regions, as shown in Figures
3.13 and 3.14, educational attainment
among teachers and the female adult
population, as measured by the
attainment of two-year, four-year or
higher degrees, were generally consistent
with the pattern for the state as a whole.
Levels of educational attainment
varied by region and generally followed
the patterns of variation in educational
attainment among the adult female
population in the region, as shown in
Figure 3.13. Teachers in the Bay Area
were more likely to have obtained fouryear or higher degrees (33.7 percent) than
their counterparts in Central California
(17.6 percent), Northern California (24.6
percent) or Southern California (23.6
percent), and this same pattern held for
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Figure 3.11. Estimated Percentage of Teachers, Assistant Teachers and Directors with a
Bachelor’s or Higher Degree: Statewide and by Regiona
70
65.7
Percentage
60
55.3
54.2
51.3
47.5
50
40
33.7
30
25.2
Percentage
24.6
23.6
20
13.5
7.4
7.5
Statewide
Northern CA
10
17.6
6.5
3.4
0
Bay Area
Teachers
Assistant teachers
Central CA
Southern CA
Directors
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
a
Sample size for statewide data: Number of teachers = 43,499, number of assistant = 21,213, number of directors = 6,875. Northern
California: Number of teachers = 2,510, number of assistants= 1,434, number of directors = 365. Bay Area: Number of teachers =
10,858, number of assistants= 3,909, number of directors = 1,438. Central CA: Number of teachers = 7,276, number of assistants=
3,507, number of directors = 1,197. Southern CA: Number of teachers = 22,855, number of assistants= 12,363, number of directors =
3,875.
Figure 3.12. Estimated Percentage of Teachers, Assistant Teachers and Directors with
an Associate Degree: Statewide and by Region
40
35
Percentage
30
31.1
27.8
35.1
32.8
30.3
27.4
26.1
22.8
25
22.2
20
15
Percentage
12.4
13.3
Statewide
Northern CA
25.7
15.4
11.8
11.2
10
5
0
Teachers (n=43,999)
Bay Area
Central CA
Assistant teachers (n=21,213)
Southern CA
Directors (n=6,875)
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Figure 3.13. Estimated Percentage of Teachers with a Bachelor’s or Higher Degree,
Compared to Adult Female Population: Statewide and By Region
45.0
38.7
40.0
33.7
Percentage
35.0
30.0
25.2
25.0
27.0
24.6
23.6 25.0
22.5
17.6 18.4
20.0
Percentage
15.0
10.0
5.0
0.0
Statewide
(n=43,499)
Northern CA
(n=2,510)
Teachers
Bay Area
(n=10,858)
Central CA
(n=7,276)
Southern CA
(n=22,855)
Adult female population
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
Figure 3.14. Estimated Percentage of Teachers with an Associate Degree, Compared to
Adult Female Population: Statewide and By Region
40
35.1
35
31.1
27.8
Percentage
30
27.4
22.8
25
20
15
Percentage
10
8.3
10.2
8.7
8.5
8.4
5
0
Statewide
(n=43,499)
Northern CA
(n=2,510)
Teachers
Bay Area
(n=10,858)
Central CA
(n=7,276)
Southern CA
(n=22,855)
Adult female population
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
adult females in the state as a whole: those
residing in the Bay Area were more likely
to have obtained a four-year or higher
degree than those residing in other parts
of California.
Looking more closely within regions,
only the Bay Area, which reported the
highest level of BA or higher degrees
among its teachers, reported somewhat
lower rates of four-year degree completion
than the average female in the region.
Among all other regions, the percentages
of teachers and adult females with BA
degrees were within a couple of points,
as shown in Figure 3.13. AA degree
completion rates were consistently
higher among both teachers and assistant
teachers statewide and within regions,
with the rates for teachers being about
three times higher than that of all females,
and the rates for assistants half again
as high. (See Figure 3.14.) Only in the
Bay Area was the rate of AA completion
among teachers lower than the rate of BA
or higher degree completion; in all other
regions of the state, the opposite was true.
(See Figures 3.13 and 3.14.)
When interpreting these results, it
is important to remember that not all
centers employed teachers (or other staff)
with various levels of education. As shown
in Table 3.32, nearly three-quarters of
Bay Area centers employed at least one
teacher with a BA or higher degree, while
a little less than one-half of centers in
Central California did so. Among centers
employing at least one teacher with a BA
or higher degree, the average percentage
of such teachers also varied by region, as
shown in Table 3.32.
Regional differences also emerged
with respect to the percentage of centers
employing at least one teacher who had
obtained a BA or higher degree from a
foreign institution. Across the state, 24.4
percent of centers (SE=1.4) employed
at least one such teacher, and centers in
the Bay Area were the most likely (32.1
percent, SE =2.7) to employ at least
one such teacher. Centers in Southern
California were the next most likely (26.2
percent, SE =2.4), followed by Central
California (13.1 percent, SE=2.9) and
Northern California (5.6 percent, SE=1.7).
A similar pattern was identified for
assistant teachers with foreign degrees.
Early Childhood Related Education and
Certification
Most degree-holding teachers and
assistant teachers had completed a degree
related to early childhood development, as
previously described. Most centers across
the state with at least one teacher with a
BA or an AA employed at least one teacher
(BA level, 78.0 percent, SE=1.3; AA level,
87.5 percent, SE=1.0) or assistant teacher
(62.8 percent, SE=2.4) with an early
childhood-related degree. Among centers
employing at least one such teacher, Bay
Area centers, on average, employed a
lower percentage of such teachers than
did centers in other regions of the state, as
shown in Table 3.33.
The majority of teachers with a
four-year or higher degree held a Child
Development Permit, and the majority of
centers (61.2 percent) employed at least
one teacher with a four-year degree and
permit. The percentage of teachers with
such certification, on average, did not vary
by region, but the percentage of assistant
teachers who held a Child Development
Permit did. Centers in Central California
who employed at least one assistant
teacher with an AA or higher degree and
a Child Development Permit employed,
on average, a greater percentage of such
assistants (50.8 percent, SE=4.8) than
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Table 3.32. Teachers with a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher: Statewide and By Region
Northern CA
Bay Area
Central CA
Southern CA
Statewide
Estimated percentage of centers
with at least one teacher with a
bachelor’s degree or higher (SE)
Estimated mean percentage of
centers with a bachelor’s degree or
higher in centers employing at least
one such teacher* (SE)
Number of
centers
53.1
54.5
647
(2.7)
(2.4)
72.0
50.3
(2.2)
(1.5)
48.2
42.0
(2.4)
(1.8)
59.2
43.0
(2.0)
(1.4)
59.7
45.8
(1.2)
(0.9)
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
* p < .05. Bay Area, Northern CA > Central, Southern CA
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1,820
1,408
3,799
7,674
California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Table 3.33. Teachers with a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher in Early Childhood
Education: Statewide and By Region
Statewide
Northern CA
Bay Area
Central CA
Southern
CA w/ Los
Angeles
Southern
CA w/o Los
Angeles
Estimated percentage of centers
with at least one teacher with a
bachelor’s degree or higher in early
childhood education (SE)
Estimated mean percentage of
teachers with a bachelor’s degree or
higher in early childhood education,
in centers employing at least one
such teacher (SE)*
Number of
centers
78.0
83.2
4,404
(1.3)
(0.9)
74.8
85.5
(3.3)
(2.1)
75.7
77.5
(2.4)
(1.9)
79.2
86.8
(2.8)
(1.7)
79.5
84.9
(2.1)
(1.4)
76.3
83.9
(2.7)
(1.8)
330
1,259
654
2,161
1,152
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
* p < .05. Sample including LA: Bay Area < all other regions. Sample excluding LA: Bay Area < Northern CA, Central CA.
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
centers in the Bay Area (26.4 percent,
SE=4.0).
Roughly one-quarter of all teachers in
the state held a BA or higher degree, and
about one-quarter of degreed teachers
also held a California teaching credential.
Credentialed teachers were concentrated
in only 39.6 percent of centers. Centers
in Northern California (44.0 percent,
SE=3.7) and in the Bay Area (45.7
percent, SE=2.9) were more likely than
those in Central California (34.5 percent,
SE =3.3) or Southern California (37.0
percent, SE=2.6) to employ at least one
teacher with a BA or higher degree and
a California teaching credential. Centers
in Northern California with at least
one credentialed teacher employed, on
average, a greater percentage of such
teachers (77.6 percent, SE=3.2) than
centers in Southern California (63.6
percent, SE=2.8) or the Bay Area (62.7
percent; SE=2.6).
Overall Educational Attainment
and Professional Certification, by
Ages of Children Served
Because of proposed increases in
qualifications for teachers or assistant
teachers working in publicly funded
programs targeting four-year-old
children, there is considerable interest
in whether teachers who currently work
with preschoolers differ in educational
attainment from those working with
younger children. We examined whether
centers that enrolled only preschoolers
varied in the overall educational level
of their teachers and assistants from
those that enrolled both infants and
preschoolers.18
As shown in Table 3.34, centers that
enrolled infants reported a somewhat
lower percentage of teachers with BA or
higher degrees, and a somewhat higher
percentage of teachers with 24 or more
credits of early childhood-related college
credits. Centers serving infants also
reported a slightly lower percentage of
assistants with a four-year or higher
degree. Director educational attainment
varied little whether centers enrolled
infants or not. The percentage of centers
employing at least one teacher with a
degree from a foreign institution did not
vary by the ages of children served in the
center.
We also examined the extent to
which focused education related to early
childhood development and certification
varied between the teaching staff in
centers serving infants and preschoolers
and those not serving infants. There were
no differences, on average, between these
centers with respect to the percentage of
centers employing at least one teacher
with a California teaching credential
or a Child Development Permit, or the
percentage of such teachers employed in
these centers.
Overall Educational Attainment,
and Early Childhood-Related
Training, by Centers’ Relationship
to Public Funding
Research suggests that children
of low-income families derive greater
18 Because there are so few programs that are licensed to
serve infants exclusively, we could not compare those programs
to those that serve preschoolers exclusively. Also, because of
the complexity of staffing patterns as well as limitations on the
length of the survey, we were not able to ask directors to report
separately on the characteristics of teachers working exclusively
with younger children and those working with older children.
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Table 3.34. Estimated Educational Attainment of Teachers, Assistant Teachers and
Directors, By Ages of Enrolled Children: Statewide
Estimated percentage
Teachers
Bachelor’s
degree or
higher
Associate
degree
24 credits
+ ECE
credits
1-23 ECE
credits
No
degree,
no ECE
credits
Number
of staff
Centers enrolling
infantsa
19.3
27.0
34.3
19.0
0.4
16,737
Centers without
infants
28.9
28.3
27.5
15.0
0.3
26,762
All centers
25.2
27.8
30.1
16.6
0.3
43,499
Centers enrolling
infantsa
4.3
10.2
18.0
54.1
13.4
8,577
9.4
13.8
20.4
45.2
11.2
12,636
7.4
12.4
19.4
48.8
12.0
21,213
55.0
25.0
16.6
3.2
0.2
2,360
55.4
26.7
14.3
3.4
0.2
4,514
55.3
26.1
15.1
3.3
0.2
6,875
Assistant
Centers without
teachers
infants
All centers
Centers enrolling
infantsa
Directors Centers without
infants
All centers
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
a
Most of these centers also enroll older children.
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
benefit from higher-quality early care
and education programs than do children
of middle- and upper-income families
(Helburn, 1995). Studies have found
programs rated higher in quality to be
staffed by teachers and assistant teachers
with higher levels of education, and with
training specifically focused on early
childhood (Helburn, 1995; Galinsky,
Howes, Kontos & Shinn, 1994; Whitebook,
Howes & Phillips, 1990; Whitebook &
Sakai, 1995).
In California, staff in centers receiving
public dollars to serve children of lowincome families are required to meet
different standards, depending on
whether their center holds a contract with
Head Start or the California Department
of Education (CDE), or receives vouchers
for children of low-income families. In
centers holding contracts, instructional
and administrative staff are required to
meet higher educational standards than
those in centers receiving public dollars
through vouchers. Staff working in centers
receiving vouchers are not required to
meet any additional qualifications beyond
what is required for centers receiving no
public dollars. Although some centers may
set qualifications at a higher level, centers
receiving vouchers and centers receiving
no public dollars are only required by
law to meet the standards mandated by
Community Care Licensing.
We found that teachers’ educational
attainment varied by centers’ relationship
to public subsidy. As shown in Figures
3.15 and 3.16, centers receiving public
dollars through vouchers reported a lower
percentage of teachers and directors who
had obtained a BA or higher degree. With
respect to assistants and teachers who
had achieved an AA degree, teachers in
contracted centers had higher levels of AA
degree attainment than their counterparts
in other types of programs, as shown in
Figure 3.17. The percentage of centers
employing at least one teacher with a
degree from a foreign institution did not
vary by centers’ relationship to public
subsidy.
We also examined the extent to
which a degree related to early childhood
development and certification varied
among teaching staff in centers with
varying relationships to public subsidy.
Among centers employing at least one
teacher with an early childhood-related
bachelor’s degree, centers holding
a contract with Head Start or CDE
employed a higher percentage of such
teachers, on average (86.9 percent,
SE=1.6), than centers not receiving any
public dollars (77.6 percent, SE=1.8).
Centers receiving public dollars through
vouchers also employed a higher
percentage of teachers with an early
childhood-related bachelor’s degree,
on average (84.8 percent, SE=1.3),
than centers not receiving any public
dollars. Among centers employing at
least one teacher with an early childhoodrelated associate degree, centers holding
a contract with Head Start or CDE
employed a higher average percentage of
such teachers (96.2 percent, SE=0.7) than
centers receiving public dollars through
vouchers (90.5 percent, SE=1.1); centers
not receiving public subsidies employed
an average of 94.2 percent of teachers
(SE=1.1) with such a degree.
There were no differences among
centers with varying relationships
to public subsidy with respect to the
percentage of centers employing at least
one teacher with a BA or higher degree
and a California teaching credential.
Centers holding a contract with CDE or
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Figure 3.15. Estimated Educational Attainment of Teachers, By Centers’ Relationship
to Public Subsidy: Statewide
45
39.5
40
Percentage
35
30
35.0
31.8
28.2
25
20
Percentage
15
24.3
24.3
27.2
23.4
20.5
19.8
16.5
8.4
10
0.5
5
0.4
0
Bachelor’s degree
or higher
Associate’s degree
24 credits + ECE
credits
Head Start/CDE contract (n=10,002)
No vouchers/No contract (n=12,303)
1-23 ECE credits
0.2
No degree, no ECE
credits
Vouchers/No contract (n=21,194)
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
Figure 3.16. Estimated Education Attainment of Direct0rs, By Centers’ Relationship to
Public Subsidy: Statewide
70
66.6
56.7
60
47.9
Percentage
50
40
30
Percentage
20
27.2 25.7 25.9
21.4
13.4
5.7
10
0.4
5.0 3.3
0
Bachelor’s degree or Associate’s degree
higher
Head Start/CDE contract (n=1,809)
24 credits + ECE
credits
1-23 ECE credits
Vouchers/No contract (n=3,162)
0.1 0.0 0.7
No degree, no ECE
credits
No vouchers/No contract (n=1,904)
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Figure 3.17. Estimated Education Attainment of Assistant Teachers, By Centers’
Relationship to Public Subsidy: Statewide
60
49.3
Percentage
50
50.3
45.3
40
30
23.0
Percentage
20
15.7
13.7
8.3
10
10.2
15.4 15.6
12.0
15.8
10.3
11.4
3.7
0
Bachelor’s degree
or higher
Associate’s degree
Head Start/CDE contract (n=10,976)
24 credits + ECE
credits
1-23 ECE credits
Vouchers/No contract (n=6,103)
No degree, no ECE
credits
No vouchers/No contract (n=4,134)
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
Table 3.35. Estimated Average Percentage of Teachers and Assistant Teachers
with Child Development Permits in Centers Employing at Least One Such Teacher:
Statewide and By Centers’ Relationship to Public Subsidy
Estimated average percentage (SE)
Teachers with a bachelor's
or higher degree*
Teachers with an
associate degree*
Assistants with an associate
or higher degree**
Head Start/CDE
contract
95.3
97.2
90.9
(0.9)
(0.6)
(1.7)
Number of centers
1,129
1,573
548
78.4
75.4
71.1
(2.1)
(2.0)
(6.1)
Number of centers
818
1,038
132
No vouchers/No
contract
77.2
77.8
81.2
(2.3)
(2.5)
(5.0)
Number of centers
683
727
164
Vouchers/No contract
Statewide
Number of centers
85.3
86.2
85.9
(1.0)
(1.0)
(1.8)
2,630
3,338
844
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
* p < .05. Head Start/CDE contract > Vouchers/No contract, No vouchers/No contract.
** p < .05. Head Start/CDE contract > Vouchers/No contract.
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Head Start employed a higher percentage
of such teachers (72.4 percent, SE=3.3)
than centers not receiving any public
dollars (59.0 percent, SE=2.8).
Centers holding a contract with CDE
or Head Start also employed the highest
percentage of teachers and assistants with
Child Development Permits, as shown in
Table 3.35.
Overall Educational Attainment,
by Teacher and Assistant
Demographic Characteristics
Among teachers and assistant teachers
with different levels of education, we
examined such characteristics as age,
ethnicity and language background.
1) Overall Educational Attainment, by
Age
Two intertwined concerns arise with
regard to the age distribution among
teachers and assistants with different
levels of educational attainment:
•
•
Is the field attracting younger people
to its ranks?
Are new recruits more or less educated
and trained than older, more tenured
members of the workforce?
Recent research has documented an
alarming national trend of educational
decline among the early care and
education workforce, with particular
concern that the most educated segment
of the workforce is approaching
retirement at a time when proposed
qualifications for teachers are increasing
(Herzenberg, Price & Bradley, 2005). As
shown in Table 3.36, teachers with BA or
higher degrees were older, on average,
than teachers with less education. In
particular, nearly one-quarter of such
teachers (24.5 percent) were age 50
or older, compared to 15.5 percent of
teachers with AA degrees, and 10.4
percent of teachers with no degrees.
Among assistant teachers there was
little variation in age by educational
attainment. Similar patterns were
identified across regions and among
centers serving children of different ages
or with varying relationships to public
subsidy.
2) Overall Educational Attainment, by
Ethnicity
We examined teacher and assistant
teacher ethnicity and educational
background along three dimensions:
1. the ethnic distribution of teachers and
assistants across different levels of
formal education;
2. the distribution of educational
attainment within various ethnic
groups, and
3. the ethnic distribution of teachers at
different levels of education, compared
to that of California’s adult population.
Combined, these analyses provide a
picture of how well teachers of various
ethnic groups are represented at different
educational levels, how this distribution
reflects general trends in the population,
and where direct supports and incentives
might be directed toward particular ethnic
groups in order to boost their educational
attainment.
The ethnic distribution of teachers
and assistant teachers varied across levels
of educational attainment, as shown
in Table 3.37. White, Non-Hispanic
teachers comprised 53.0 percent of
all teachers, and they comprised 58.6
percent of teachers with BA or higher
degree. Latinas comprised 26.9 percent
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Table 3.36. Estimated Percentage of Teachers By Age and Educational Attainment:
Statewide
Estimated percentage
All teachers
Teachers with bachelor's Teachers with
or higher degree
associate degree
Teachers with
no degree
Under 29 years old
33.0
23.6
29.1
40.5
30 to 39 years old
29.1
26.4
30.8
29.5
40 to 49 years old
22.5
25.5
24.6
19.6
Over 50 years old
15.4
24.5
15.5
10.4
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
140,776
10,901
11,889
19,886
Total
Number of staff
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
Table 3.37. Estimated Percentage of Teachers By Ethnicity and Educational
Attainment: Statewide
Estimated percentage
All teachers
Teachers with bachelor's
or higher degree
Teachers with
associate degree
Teachers with
no degree
White, Non-Hispanic
53.0
58.6
50.8
51.3
Latina
26.9
13.4
30.2
32.2
African American
7.3
6.2
8.0
7.4
Asian/Pacific Islander
8.0
15.2
7.2
4.7
American Indian or
Alaskan Native
0.3
0.3
0.4
0.2
Multiethnic
2.2
2.8
1.8
2.1
Other
2.3
3.5
1.6
2.1
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number of teachers
43,289
10,999
13,045
20,245
Note. Based on a sample of 1921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
of all teachers, but only 13.4 percent
of teachers with BA or higher degrees.
African American teachers comprised 7.3
percent of all teachers, and roughly the
same percentage of teachers with a BA
or higher degree (6.2 percent). Although
Asian/Pacific Islanders constituted only
8.0 percent of all teachers, they comprised
15.2 percent of those who reported a BA
or higher degree as their highest level of
educational attainment. A similar pattern
was found among assistant teachers.
In determining the distribution of
educational attainment (as represented
by completion of degrees) within various
ethnic groups, we found that 28.1 percent
of White, Non-Hispanic, 21.5 percent of
African American, 12.6 percent of Latina,
and 48.2 percent of Asian/Pacific Islander
teachers had completed a four-year degree
or higher. (See Table 3.38.) Among
assistant teachers, 24.2 percent of White,
Non-Hispanics and 35 percent of Asian/
Pacific Islanders had completed a fouryear degree or higher.
Next, we sought to determine the
ethnic distribution of teachers at different
levels of education, as compared to
California’s overall adult population.
For example, were Latina teachers more
or less likely than other Latino adults
in California to have achieved a BA
degree? To make this comparison, we
examined data from the 2000 U.S. Census
on California adults’ attainment of BA or
higher degrees. Latina, African American,
and Asian/Pacific Islander teachers had
attained BA or higher degrees at higher
rates than their counterparts in the overall
state population (all Latino adults, 5.8
percent; all African American adults, 17.2
percent; all Asian/Pacific Islander adults,
40.9 percent). White, Non-Hispanic
teachers, however, were less likely to have
earned a BA than White, Non-Hispanic
California adults (33.8 percent).
3) Overall Educational Attainment, by
Language
Since many of California’s young
children speak a first language other
than English, and many have parents
with limited English proficiency, there
is understandable concern about the
ability of the early care and education
workforce to communicate well with
children and their adult family members,
and to create learning environments
for children that build upon their first
language as a foundation for successful
mastery of English (Garcia, 2005;
Sakai & Whitebook, 2003; WongFillmore & Snow, 1999). Because of the
commonly shared goal among policy
makers and advocates to build not only
a more educated but an ethnically and
linguistically diverse early care and
education workforce (Calderon, 2005), it
is important to understand how language
capacity varies among teachers and
assistant teachers with different levels of
educational attainment, in order to design
and target professional development
resources.
The following is an analysis of
educational attainment by language,
but it is important to note that language
ability was reported by directors, rather
than independently verified; we also were
unable to determine whether teachers
and assistants who spoke a language
besides English fluently were also fluent
in English. Finally, this study does not
permit us to assess whether or not there
was a linguistic match between teaching
staff and the children they served.
Our analyses focused on the
percentage of teachers and assistants
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Table 3.38. Estimated Percentage of Teachers with a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher,
Associates Degree or No Degree, By Ethnicity: Statewide and By Region
Estimated percentage
All centers
Northern CA
Bay Area
Central CA
Southern
CA w/ Los
Angeles
Southern
CA w/o Los
Angeles
Bachelor’s or
higher degree
Associate
degree
No degree
Total
Number of
teachers
White, Non-Hispanic
28.1
26.7
45.2
100.0
22,936
Latina
12.6
31.3
56.1
100.0
11,629
African American
21.5
30.7
47.7
100.0
3,157
Asian/Pacific Islander
48.2
24.8
27.0
100.0
3,481
White, Non-Hispanic
25.5
31.1
43.4
100.0
2,083
Latina
9.6
32.6
57.8
100.0
261
African American
27.3
36.3
36.4
100.0
21
Asian/Pacific Islander
54.9
15.1
30.0
100.0
39
White, Non-Hispanic
38.5
23.4
38.1
100.0
5,605
Latina
13.1
24.1
62.8
100.0
1,854
African American
22.3
25.2
52.5
100.0
859
Asian/Pacific Islander
48.4
24.5
27.1
100.0
1,774
White, Non-Hispanic
20.4
33.4
46.2
100.0
3,967
Latina
11.4
37.1
51.5
100.0
2,196
African American
11.4
37.9
50.7
100.0
443
Asian/Pacific Islander
29.7
37.0
33.3
100.0
351
White, Non-Hispanic
26.1
25.1
48.8
100.0
11,282
Latina
13.0
31.3
55.7
100.0
7,317
African American
23.7
31.4
44.9
100.0
1,834
Asian/Pacific Islander
52.7
22.2
25.1
100.0
1,318
White, Non-Hispanic
26.7
24.0
49.3
100.0
7,028
Latina
12.3
30.0
57.7
100.0
3.710
African American
19.5
32.6
47.9
100.0
631
Asian/Pacific Islander
51.3
22.5
26.2
100.0
651
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
at different educational levels who
had the director-reported capacity to
communicate with children in a language
other than English. Across all educational
levels, 36.5 percent of teachers and 49.3
percent of assistant teachers had such a
capacity. Teachers with AA degrees, on
average, were somewhat more likely than
either teachers with BA or higher degrees
or teachers with no degrees to have this
linguistic capacity, as shown in Table 3.39.
We do not know, however, which teachers
at any educational level were bilingual,
and which spoke a language other than
English fluently but were limited in their
English skills.
English than centers receiving vouchers
or those receiving no public funding. In
contracted programs, the most notable
difference from other types of centers was
among teachers without degrees, followed
by teachers with AA degrees. Centers
receiving vouchers employed a somewhat
more linguistically diverse teaching staff
than non-subsidized centers.
Among assistant teachers, there
was no virtually no difference in the
percentage of those with an AA or higher
degree (49.3 percent) and those with
no degree (50.7 percent) who spoke a
language other than English fluently.
Also shown in Table 3.39 are the
percentages of teachers at various
educational levels, by region, with
the director-reported capacity to
communicate fluently in a language
other than English. Within regions,
the percentages of teachers at various
educational levels with this linguistic
capacity were relatively consistent. Table 3.39 shows the percentage of
teachers at various educational levels, by
center type, with this director-reported
linguistic capacity. Centers serving
infants and preschoolers employed a
higher percentage of such teachers at all
educational levels than centers not serving
infants, most notably teachers with AA
degrees. Centers holding a contract
with Head Start or CDE employed a
higher percentage of teachers who could
communicate fluently with children
and families in a language other than
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Table 3.39. Estimated Percentage of Teachers at Different Levels of Educational
Attainment Who Speak A Language Other Than English Fluently: Statewide, By Ages
of Enrolled Children, By Region, and By Centers’ Relationship to Public Subsidy
Estimated percentage
Teachers with Bachelor’s
degree or higher
Teachers with Associate
degree
Teachers with no degree
34.7
39.7
35.7
10,928
12,041
20,398
Centers Enrolling
Infants
36.2
44.0
36.7
Number of teachers
3,223
4,498
8,949
Centers without Infants
34.0
37.1
34.9
Number of teachers
7,705
7,544
11,449
Northern CA
17.4
13.9
17.5
Number of teachers
612
780
1,112
Bay Area
36.1
35.6
38.1
Number of teachers
3,657
2,475
4,666
Central CA
30.5
38.7
30.8
Number of teachers
1,276
2,538
3,418
Southern CA w/ Los
Angeles
36.7
44.9
38.0
Number of teachers
5,383
6,248
11,202
Southern CA w/o Los
Angeles
32.9
40.4
34.3
Number of teachers
2,983
3,287
6,286
Head Start/CDE
contract
40.9
54.4
60.9
Number of teachers
2,818
3,946
3,218
37.7
34.5
31.6
Number of teachers
4,203
5,105
11,782
No vouchers/No
contract
26.9
28.9
29.5
Number of teachers
3,907
2,990
5,397
Statewide
Number of teachers
Vouchers/No contract
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
How well prepared are licensed centers to care for and educate
children who are dual language learners or have special needs?
Only about one-third of centers employ teachers who have participated in noncredit training, and only 17 percent employ teachers who have completed college
coursework, focused on dual language learning in young children, despite the growing
numbers of young children in California who speak a language other than English in
their homes. Centers that report that at least one of their teachers has participated in
training or courses related to dual language learning report somewhat higher overall
levels of education among their teachers. Centers that report employing at least one
teacher who has participated in training or college courses related to dual language
learning also employ a higher percentage of teachers who speak a language other than
or in addition to English.
Many more teachers have participated in professional development related to
working with children with special needs. Three-quarters of centers report that at
least one of their teachers has participated in non-credit training, and about twothirds report that at least one of their teachers has completed college credits, related
to children with special needs. Centers that report caring for at least one child with
special needs also report higher levels of teacher professional development related
to working with children with special needs. Centers that hold a contract with Head
Start or CDE also employ a higher percentage of teachers with relevant professional
development.
As California considers how best to
prepare its workforce to meet the needs
of its young children, particular concern
centers on two groups of children:
•
•
the growing number who are dual
language learners, many of them from
immigrant families; and
the growing number who have
been identified as having special
developmental needs.
A pressing question is whether
the current early care and education
workforce has sufficient skill and
knowledge to meet the needs of these
children. While it was beyond the
scope of this study to assess the overall
knowledge and competencies of centerbased teaching staff, our interview
did allow some initial exploration of
teachers’professional preparation related
to dual language learners and/or children
with special needs. 19
Preparation to Work with Young
Children Acquiring a Second
Language
In 2005, more than one-third of
children entering public kindergarten
in California were estimated to be dual
language learners (California Department
of Education, 2005). According to recent
projections of the growth of this segment
of California’s population over the next
several decades (Hill, Johnson & Tafoya,
2004), it is likely that soon the majority
of young children receiving early care and
19 Directors were asked the number of teachers in their
centers who had participated in credit-bearing coursework
or non-credit training focused on working with children who
were dual language learners and/or those with special needs.
Because of concern about the length of the survey, these
questions were not asked with respect to directors or assistants.
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Table 3.40. Estimated Mean Percentage
of Teachers Completing at Least One
Hour of Non-Credit Training and/or
at Least One College Credit Related to
Dual Language Learning Children:
Statewide
Table 3.41. Estimated Percentage
of Centers Employing at Least One
Teacher With Non-Credit Training
and/or College Credits Related to
Dual Language Learning Children:
Statewide
Estimated percentage (SE)
Non-credit training
Number of centers
College credits
Number of centers
28.6
(1.1 )
7,100
17.2
(0.9)
6,656
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to
represent the population of licensed centers.
education services will be dual language
learners and/or living in families in which
some or all of the adults do not speak
English.
In this survey, we were able only to
investigate which languages teachers
spoke, not the languages spoken by
children in their care. We know, however,
from anecdotal reports that a sizeable
portion of teachers in many areas of the
state either care for children for whom
English is a second language or will
likely be called upon to do so over the
course of their careers. We also know
from a recent survey of early childhood
teacher preparation programs in
California institutions of higher education
(Whitebook, Bellm, Lee & Sakai, 2005)
that only one-quarter of these programs
require a course focused on secondlanguage acquisition in young children,
suggesting that exposure to professional
development around these issues through
college courses is limited.
Our goal was to ascertain the extent to
which teachers had received any training
focused on this topic, by asking directors
Estimated percentage (SE)
At least 1 teacher
with non-credit
training
39.4
(1.3)
Number of centers
7,100
At least 1 teacher
with college credits
30.3
(1.2)
Number of centers
6,656
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to
represent the population of licensed centers.
whether their teachers had participated
in relevant credit-bearing courses and/
or non-credit training. Most had not:
directors reported that, on average, only
28.6 percent of teachers had received noncredit training, and only 17.2 percent had
completed college coursework, focused
on dual language learning in young
children. (See Table 3.40.) We estimate
that 60.6 percent of centers (SE=1.3) had
no teachers with non-credit training, and
69.6 percent (SE=1.2) had no teachers
who had taken college courses, related to
dual language learning in children. (See
Table 3.41.)
There were no differences between
centers serving infants and those serving
older children with respect to teacher
professional preparation related to
working with dual language learners.
Centers in Central California reported
the highest average percentage of
teachers who had participated in relevant
coursework and training.
The average percentage of teachers
who had participated in professional
development related to dual language
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
learning varied by the centers’
relationship to public subsidies. As show
in Figure 3.18, centers operating under a
contract with Head Start or the California
Department of Education reported that
nearly two-thirds of teachers, on average,
had participated in training, and nearly
one-third of teachers, on average, had
completed college credits, related to dual
language learning in young children.
Centers receiving no public dollars or
those receiving vouchers for at least
one child reported that their teachers
were three to four times less likely
than teachers in contracted centers to
have participated in such professional
development.
We next examined whether centers
employing at least one teacher with
either non-credit training or college
credits related to dual language learning
in children varied with respect to the
percentage of teachers with AA or
higher degrees. As shown in Table 3.42,
centers with at least one teacher who
had participated in such training or
coursework were staffed with a somewhat
higher percentage of teachers who had
earned an AA or higher degree, compared
to centers with no teachers who had
received professional development related
to dual language learners.
Centers employing at least one
teacher who had participated in training
or coursework related to dual language
learning also reported a higher average
percentage of bilingual teachers, whether
they spoke English and Spanish, or
English and at least one other language.
At centers employing at least one teacher
who had participated in dual languagerelated professional development, 47.6
percent (SE=1.5) of teachers, on average,
spoke a language other than English,
compared with 34.1 percent (SE=1.1) at
centers with no teachers participating
in training. On average, 49.3 percent
(SE=1.7) of teachers spoke a language
other than English at centers employing
at least one teacher with college credits
related to dual language learning children,
compared with 32.9 percent (SE=1.1) of
teachers at centers employing no teachers
with such college credits.
Preparation to Work with Young
Children With Special Needs
Over the last 30 years, the deepening
understanding of and ability to identify
developmental challenges, coupled with
changes in federal law,20 have led to the
increased involvement of early childhood
settings in providing services to children
with special physical and developmental
needs and/or disabilities (Shonkoff &
Phillips, 2000). Recognizing that the
early care and education workforce was
being increasingly called upon to provide
such services, the California Legislature
passed SB 1703 in 2000, supporting local
child care resource and referral programs
and child care planning councils in
providing training related to children with
special needs. This funding was renewed
in 2005.
20 Two federal laws in particular have contributed to the
inclusion of children with special needs in early childhood
programs. The American with Disabilities Act (ADA), a federal
civil rights law passed in 1990, prohibits discrimination by
child care centers and family child care providers against
individuals with disabilities. The ADA requires providers to
assess, on a case-by-case basis, what a child with a disability
requires in order to be fully integrated into a program, and
whether reasonable accommodation can be made to allow
this to happen. In addition, the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act, passed in 1975 and reauthorized in 2004,
requires public schools to meet the educational needs of
children as young as three with disabilities, guarantees early
intervention services to infants and toddlers up to age three
in their “natural environments,” and addresses the transition
of infants and toddlers from early intervention services to
preschool programs. California’s equivalent law, the Early
Intervention Services Act, is also known as Early Start (Child
Care Law Center, 2005).
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Table 3.42. Estimated Mean Percentage of Teachers with AA, BA or Higher Degrees
With Non-Credit Training and/or College Credits Related to Dual Language
Learning Children: Statewide
Mean percentage (SE)
Teachers with an Associate
degree*
Teachers with a Bachelor's
degree or higher**
25.7
25.2
(0.9)
(1.0)
4,264
4,261
38.0
30.3
(1.3)
(1.3)
2,761
2,761
28.4
24.0
(0.9)
(0.9)
4,603
4,603
33.7
33.7
(1.5)
(1.6)
2.004
2,004
No teachers with non-credit training
Number of centers
At least 1 teacher with non-credit training
Number of centers
No teachers with college credits
Number of centers
At least 1 teacher with college credits
Number of centers
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
* p < .05. Centers with no teachers with non-credit training < centers with at least one teacher with non-credit training. Centers
with no teachers with college credits < centers with at least one teacher with college credits.
** p < .05. Centers with no teachers wtih non-credit training < centers with at least one teacher with non-credit training.
Figure 3.18: Estimated Mean Percentage of Teachers Who Have Completed NonCredit Training and/or College Credits Related to Dual Language Learning Children:
Statewide, and by Centers’ Relationship to Public Subsidy
70
62.8
60
Percentage
50
40
28.6
30
Percentage
20
13.9
33.3
17.2
14.1
10.7
11.8
10
0
Head
Start/CDE
contract
(n=2,130)
Vouchers/No
No
contract
vouchers/No
(n=2,916)
contract
(n=2,054)
Statewide
(n=7,100)
At least 1 hour of non-credit training
Head
Start/CDE
contract
(n=1,819)
Vouchers/No
No
contract
vouchers/No
(n=2,824)
contract
(n=2,014)
Statewide
(n=6,657)
At least 1 college credit
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Table 3.43. Estimated Percentage
of Centers Employing at Least One
Teacher with Non-Credit Training and/
or College Credits Related to Children
with Special Needs: Statewide
Estimated percentage (SE)
At least 1 teacher
with non-credit
training
74.0
Number of centers
7,198
At least 1 teacher
with college credits
63.1
(1.3)
Number of centers
6,616
(1.1)
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to
represent the population of licensed centers.
For this study, we were interested
in determining whether center teachers
had received professional preparation
related to children with special needs.
Specifically, we determined:
1. whether or not centers employed
any teachers who had participated
in special needs-related training or
college courses,
2. the average percentage of teachers in
centers who had participated in special
needs-related training or college
courses, and
3. whether centers that reported caring
for at least one child with special
needs employed a higher percentage
of teachers who had participated in
relevant education and training.
Overall Levels of Special Needs-Related
Training and Courses
Roughly three-quarters (74.0 percent)
of centers reported that at least one
of their teachers had participated in
non-credit training related to children
with special needs. Fewer centers (63.1
percent) reported that at least one of
their teachers had participated in college
credit-bearing courses on children with
special needs. (See Table 3.43.) On
average, such centers reported that 75.4
percent (SE=9.6) of their teachers had
participated in non-credit training and
56.1 percent (SE=1.1) in college courses
related to children with special needs.
The average percentage of teachers
who had participated in non-credit
training and college credits related to
children with special needs varied with
respect to region, center relationship
to public subsidy, and the average
educational background of teaching staff.
As shown in Table 3.44, centers in the
Bay Area reported, on average, the lowest
percentage of teachers who had completed
non-credit training and college credits,
Northern California centers reported the
highest percentage of teachers with noncredit training, and Central California
centers reported the highest percentage of
teachers with college credits.
Also shown in Table 3.44, the
percentage of teachers who had
participated in non-credit training and
college courses related to children with
special needs varied by the centers’
relationship to public subsidies. Centers
that held a contract with Head Start
or CDE reported significantly higher
percentages of teachers who had
participated in special needs-related
training or college courses than did
centers receiving vouchers or centers
receiving no public dollars.
Centers that reported at least one
teacher with non-credit training or college
credits related to children with special
needs also reported somewhat higher
educational levels among their teachers,
as shown in Table 3.45. Centers with a
higher percentage of teachers who had
participated in non-credit training related
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
to children with special needs reported a
higher average percentage of teachers who
had completed an AA or higher degree.
With respect to college credits related
to children with special needs, centers
reporting that at least one teacher had
completed credits also reported that a
higher percentage of their teachers had
completed AA, but not BA, degrees.
respect to college credits, as shown in
Table 3.47, centers in the Bay Area and
Southern California also demonstrated
this pattern.
The average percentage of teachers
who had participated in training or college
credits related to children with special
needs did not vary by whether centers
served infants or only older children.
Special Needs-Related Credits and
Training, by Number of Children with
Special Needs Served
Overall, 55.8 percent of centers
(SE=1.2) reported caring for at least
one child with special needs. As shown
in Tables 3.46 and 3.47, centers caring
for at least one child with special needs
employed a higher percent of teachers
who had participated in non-credit or
credit-bearing special needs training
than centers caring for no such children.
Among centers that had at least one child
with special needs in their care, 66.2
percent of teachers had participated in
relevant non-credit training, whereas
only 41.8 percent of teachers in centers
with no children with special needs had
done so. Centers that enrolled at least
one child with special needs also reported
higher average percentages of teachers
(40.9 percent) who had completed
college credits related to children with
special needs than centers that did not
enroll any such children (28.2 percent).
Across regions, centers caring for at least
one child with special needs reported
higher percentages of teachers who
had participated in relevant non-credit
training, as shown in Table 3.46. With
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Table 3.44. Estimated Mean Percentage of Teachers with Non-Credit Training and
College Credits Related to Children with Special Needs: Statewide, By Region, and by
Centers’ Relationship to Public Subsidy
Estimated mean percentage (SE)
Non-credit
training*
Number
of centers
College
credits**
Number
of centers
Bay Central
Area
CA
Southern Southern Head
No
Vouchers/
CA w/
CA w/o
Start/
vouchers/
No
Los
Los
CDE
No
contract
Angeles Angeles contract
contract
Statewide
Northern
CA
55.8
64.1
52.7
58.1
54.9
57.1
76.8
47.1
46.5
(1.1 )
(2.3)
(2.2)
(2.1)
(1.8)
(2.0)
(1.7)
(1.7)
(2.1)
7,198
620
1,645
1,307
3,625
2,002
2,157
2,954
2,087
35.4
38.5
29.3
41.7
35.5
36.1
52.5
28.4
29.1
(1.0)
(2.2)
(1.7)
(2.0)
(1.6)
(1.9)
(2.0)
(1.4)
(1.7)
6,166
584
1,607
1,187
3,238
1,826
1,862
2,781
1,973
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
* p < .05. Northern CA > Bay Area, Southern CA with Los Angeles; Head Start/CDE contract > vouchers/no contract, no
vouchers/no contract.
** p < .05. Northern CA, Central CA > Bay Area.
Table 3.45. Estimated Mean Percentage of Teachers with AA, BA or Higher Degrees
in Centers Employing or Not Employing Teachers with Non-Credit Training and/or
College Credits Related to Children with Special Needs: Statewide
Mean percentage (SE)
No teachers with non-credit training
At least 1 teacher with non-credit training
No teachers with college credits
At least 1 teacher with college credits
Teachers with AA
degree*
Teachers with BA
or higher degree**
Number of
centers
21.6
24.8
1,845
(1.4)
(1.5)
33.2
28.7
(0.9)
(0.9)
25.4
25.8
(1.3)
(1.4)
32.6
28.2
(1.0)
(1.0)
5,262
2,415
4,153
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
* p < .05. At least one teacher with non-credit training > No teachers with non-credit training. At least one teacher with college
credits > No teachers with college creidts.
** p < .05. At least one teacher with college credits > No teachers with college credits.
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Findings
Table 3.46. Estimated Mean Percentage of Teachers with Non-Credit Training
Related to Children with Special Needs, by Number of Such Children Enrolled:
Statewide and By Region
Estimated mean percentage (SE)
No child with special needs
At least 1 child with special needs*
Number of centers
Statewide
Northern
CA
Bay Area
Central CA
Southern
CA
41.8
47.9
38.3
43.4
41.9
(1.7)
(3.7)
(3.1)
(3.2)
(2.7)
66.2
75.9
64.8
68.3
64.4
(1.4)
(2.6)
(2.8)
(2.6)
(2.2)
7077
613
1624
1288
3552
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
* p < .05. At least one child with special needs > no child with special needs (statewide and for all regions).
Table 3.47. Estimated Mean Percentage of Teachers with College Credits Related to
Children with Special Needs, by Number of Such Children Enrolled: Statewide and
By Region
Estimated mean percentage (SE)
No child with special needs
At least 1 child with special needs
Number of Centers
Statewide*
Northern
CA
Bay Area*
Central CA
Southern
CA*
28.2
32.0
20.8
36.4
28.5
(1.4)
(3.5)
(2.1)
(3.0)
(2.4)
40.9
43.8
36.4
44.9
41.1
(1.3)
(2.9)
(2.5)
(2.8)
(2.2)
6,526
574
1,590
1,171
3,191
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
*p < .05, At least one child with special needs > no child with special needs.
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006
Discussion
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Discussion
This report provides the latest
comprehensive profile of California’s
center-based early care and education
workforce. Here, we briefly comment on
the findings we consider most relevant
to current efforts to design and improve
policies that impact the quality and
availability of services for young children
prior to kindergarten.
Our study has sought to answer five
overarching questions:
1. Who are the teachers, assistant
teachers and directors in California’s
licensed child care centers?
2. What are the characteristics of
children in California child care
centers licensed to serve infants and/
or preschoolers?
3. What is the level of educational
attainment and early childhood
development-related training among
teachers, assistants, and directors in
California’s child care centers?
4. How do levels of overall educational
attainment, and professional
preparation related to early childhood
development, vary among teachers,
assistant teachers and directors
employed in centers licensed to serve
infants and/or preschoolers?
5. How well prepared are teachers to
care for and educate children who are
dual language learners or have special
needs?
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Discussion
1) Who are the teachers, assistant teachers and directors in
California’s licensed child care centers?
In California, a teacher in a child care center licensed to serve infants and/or
preschoolers is slightly more likely to be White, Non Hispanic than she is to be a
woman of color. Assistant teachers are more diverse, and more closely reflect the
ethnic distribution of children ages birth to five in California, than teachers or
directors. Still, teachers are more ethnically diverse than K-12 teachers. Compared to
women in California, teachers and assistant teachers are more likely to be under age
30 and less likely to be over 50 years of age. Slightly more than one-third of teachers,
nearly one-half of assistant teachers, and one-quarter of directors are able to speak a
language other than English fluently, most typically Spanish.
These demographic profiles vary, however, among regions of the state and by
such center characteristics as age group of children served and relationship to public
subsidy. For example, as with the population as a whole, center teaching staff in
Northern California are more likely to be White, Non-Hispanic than their counterparts
in Central and Southern California. Centers holding contracts with Head Start or the
California Department of Education are more likely to employ teachers who speak
a language other than English than are centers receiving public dollars through
vouchers, or those receiving no public dollars.
The typical teacher and assistant teacher have worked in their present jobs for
less than five years, while the typical director has been on the job for more than five
years. The highest-paid teachers with a BA earn, on average, between $14.03 and
$18.62 an hour, depending on the region of the state in which they reside. The highestpaid assistants can expect to earn $9.28 an hour, on average, if they work in a center
receiving public dollars through a voucher, and $11.21 an hour in a center holding a
contract with Head Start or CDE.
California’s early care and education
(ECE) workforce is much more ethnically
and linguistically diverse than its teachers
of Grades K-12. Approximately threequarters of the state’s K-12 teachers,
but only about one-half of its child care
center teachers, are White, Non-Hispanic.
Child care center teachers also more
closely match the diversity of children
in the state, and assistant teachers are
even more diverse. This richness of
linguistic and cultural diversity provides a
promising foundation on which to revamp
and expand services for California’s young
children.
But this comparison with the K12 workforce can also obscure the
stratification by ethnicity that does exist
in the ECE workforce. Our data reveal
substantial divisions by ethnicity and
language that require attention. Stated
simply, most child care center directors
are White, Non-Hispanic, whereas most
assistant teachers are women of color. For
example, 15.9 percent of directors, 26.9
percent of teachers and 42.0 percent of
assistant teachers are Latinas. Similarly,
about one-half of assistant teachers can
communicate with children in a language
other than English, whereas only one-
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Discussion
third of teachers and one-quarter of
directors report such linguistic skills.
In light of the continuing efforts to
upgrade the knowledge and skills of
California’s early care and education
workforce – in particular, the proposed
increase in educational standards for
teachers in publicly-funded preschool
– the challenge will be to intentionally
maintain and expand this workforce
diversity. This can only be done by
investing in a range of appropriate
supports that will truly allow people
from a wide spectrum of cultural,
educational and financial backgrounds
to access professional development
opportunities. A proactive strategy will
be essential, including scholarships,
tutoring, conveniently scheduled and
located classes, and resources for students
learning English as a second language.
The goal must extend beyond building
a diverse workforce to ensuring that
such diversity is well distributed across
all positions and all types of child care
centers.
more.
Given the documented relationship
between turnover and program quality,
the persistence of high turnover in
the ECE field, often linked with poor
compensation, is of serious concern. The
highest-paid teachers in this study with
BA or higher degrees earned $19.60 per
hour, or $40,768 per year, compared to
a mean annual salary for California K-12
teachers of $50,370, typically distributed
over a shorter work year. Should publicly
funded preschool positions become
available, at pay levels comparable to
those of K-12 teachers, it is likely that
many in the ECE workforce will seek these
new opportunities. While this will likely
create some disruption, comparable wages
carry the possibility of a more stable
teacher workforce, at least among teachers
of four-year-olds. It is less clear what
impact this shift could have on other staff
positions – notably assistant teachers,
teachers of younger children, and even
directors – absent some equivalent overall
increase in ECE workforce compensation.
Another comparison with the K12 teacher workforce reveals serious
instability of staffing in California’s child
care centers. Twice as many teachers in
child care centers (22 percent) as K-12
teachers (11 percent) leave their jobs each
year (Alliance for Excellent Education,
2005). Although many centers reported
no turnover among teaching staff during
the last year, a sizeable portion reported
that about one-third of their teachers and
40 percent of their assistant teachers had
left their jobs. Turnover was even higher
in programs serving infants and those
serving children receiving subsidy. Only
about one-third of teachers, and less than
one-third of assistant teachers, had been
working in their centers for five years or
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Discussion
2) What are the characteristics of children in California child
care centers licensed to serve infants and/or preschoolers?
In California, approximately 65,000 teachers and assistants care for and educate
approximately one-half million children in centers licensed to serve infants and/or
preschoolers. Approximately 90 percent of the children cared for in these centers
are not yet in kindergarten, and two-thirds are between the ages of three and five.
Seven percent are children under age two, about 12 percent are age two, and about
10 percent are in kindergarten or a higher grade. Less than five percent of children in
these centers are reported by directors to have special needs.
Nearly 75 percent of centers report caring for at least one child who receives
public child care assistance. Forty percent of centers receive public dollars in the form
of vouchers, and one-third of centers receive public dollars through a contract with
Head Start or the California Department of Education, to cover the cost of care for the
subsidized children they serve. Centers vary considerably in size, with one-quarter
enrolling 36 or fewer children and one-quarter enrolling over 90 children.
Our study provides a picture of the size
and organization of centers licensed to
serve children birth to five, as well as the
children attending these centers in terms
of age, special needs, and whether their
families receive public subsidies to cover
the cost of their care.
With respect to center size and
organization, licensed child care centers
serving children prior to kindergarten
are notably diverse. While the majority of
centers are operated on a nonprofit basis,
a sizeable portion are publicly operated
or organized as for-profit businesses.
Although centers, on average, serve
about 70 children and employ about nine
teaching staff, one-quarter of centers
either are very small businesses or are
organizations approaching the size of
many elementary schools. On the one
hand, this variety speaks to the richness
of options available to families, as well
as varied opportunities for those seeking
to work in or operate child care centers.
Yet this diversity also helps to explain the
challenge in reaching consensus about
workforce standards, or employee benefits
such as health insurance, retirement
assistance or professional development,
all of which may have different
implications depending on a center’s size
and organization.
With respect to age, the standard
practice among centers statewide is to
care for children between the ages of two
and five. Centers care for more children in
the two-to-five age range than under age
two, largely because of differing staffing
requirements (and associated costs) for
serving infants and toddlers. The child
composition and financial stability of
centers may shift if more spaces become
available for four-year-olds through
publicly funded preschool.
For many years in California, only
centers contracting with the CDE or Head
Start received public dollars to cover the
cost of serving subsidized children. But
over the last two decades, public dollars
have become available to both for-profit
and nonprofit centers, as well as licensed
and license-exempt home-based case.
Remarkably, more centers now receive
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Discussion
public dollars in the form of vouchers
than through contracts. The question
arises whether public dollars are being
used to provide high-quality services to
young children, since centers (and homes)
accepting voucher recipients are not
required to meet any standards beyond
basic licensing requirements, widely
acknowledged as minimal at best. Of
additional concern is the fact that many
contracted centers are reimbursed at a
lower rate per child than centers receiving
public dollars through vouchers, despite
the fact (discussed more fully below) that
contracted centers on average employ
staff with higher levels of education
and more early childhood professional
preparation.
While an assessment of quality
was beyond the scope of this study,
our findings do point to the potential
leverage for improving quality that could
be linked to the voucher system, since it
currently touches such a high proportion
of licensed centers in the state. Given the
documented benefits to young children
from low-income families who attend a
high-quality early childhood program
(Helburn, 1995), it is fitting to explore
how public dollars could be used to
upgrade these settings as a way to narrow
the achievement gap between children
of low-income families and those from
better-off families.
Further discussion of children with
special needs can be found below, under
question 5.
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Discussion
3) What is the level of educational attainment and early
childhood development-related training among teachers,
assistants, and directors in California’s child care centers?
Compared to California’s overall female population, teachers working in centers
enrolling infants and/or preschoolers are more likely to have attended college and/or
completed a two-year degree. They are equally likely to have completed a four-year or
higher college degree, and less likely to have completed high school only.
One-quarter of teachers have completed a four-year or graduate degree, and
slightly more than one-quarter have completed a two-year degree, typically with an
early childhood focus. Forty percent of centers, however, do not employ any teachers
with a four-year or higher degree.
Assistant teachers in California are also more likely than the average female in
the state to have attended college and/or completed a two-year degree, but they are
less likely to have obtained a four-year or higher degree. Assistant teachers have
lower levels of degree attainment than teachers or directors. Approximately onehalf of assistant teachers have completed from 1 to 23 college credits related to early
childhood development. Only 12 percent have completed neither college credits nor a
degree related to early childhood.
More than three-quarters of directors have completed a two-year, four-year
or higher degree, typically with an early childhood focus. Directors are more than
twice as likely as teachers to have completed a four-year or higher degree, and have
completed associate degrees at roughly the same rate as teachers.
The majority of degree holders have completed a degree related to early childhood
development. Approximately one-quarter of those with BA or higher degrees obtained
their degree through a foreign institution.
Across the state, about one-third of teachers and one-quarter of assistant teachers
employed in counties with a CARES or similar program are current participants in
it. About two-thirds of centers report employing at least one teacher who is a CARES
participant, and about one-third report employing at least one assistant teacher who
is a CARES participant. Within such centers, typically about two-thirds of teachers
and assistants are participating.
Just over one-half of all teachers with an AA or higher degree hold a Child
Development Permit, and just over one-half of all directors hold a Site Supervisor
Permit. About one-quarter of teachers and one-third of directors with a BA or higher
degree have a teaching credential (as opposed to a permit) issued by the California
Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Discussion
People hold conflicting images of the
educational and professional preparation
of the licensed center-based workforce.
Some see center teachers and assistants
as a group with limited college-level
experience or training, and others point
to the increasing numbers of teachers
with relatively high levels of educational
attainment and involvement in early
childhood-related training. As a group,
teachers and directors in California
child care centers have obtained levels
of education that match or exceed
the average California adult female,
challenging the stereotype that those who
work with young children are minimally
educated. Assistant teachers have
attended college at higher rates, but have
completed degrees at lower rates, than the
state’s adult female population.
programs, some ECE teachers may find
such new requirements within reach or
may have already met them, while others
may find it unrealistic to pursue this new
opportunity.
Our data suggest that these conflicting
public images of the ECE workforce
do, however, partly reflect the complex
reality that two different sets of standards
govern staff qualifications in California
child care centers, with more stringent
requirements set for staff working in
state-contracted programs. In addition,
we found that educational attainment
and professional preparation of ECE staff
varied by type of program and region of
the state. Approximately one-quarter of
teachers in California child care centers
held a bachelor’s or higher degree, yet
these teachers were not evenly distributed
across the state. Bay Area centers reported
twice the percentage of teachers with
bachelor’s or higher degrees reported by
their counterparts in Central California.
Similarly, contracted centers reported 150
percent more teachers with degrees than
centers receiving public dollars through
vouchers. With respect to proposed
increases in educational requirements
for teachers in publicly funded preschool
With respect to certification, the
low number of Child Development
Permit holders in the center-based ECE
workforce reflects California’s current
regulatory environment, which only
requires permits for staff in contracted
programs. The reported rates of permit
holders would be even lower were it not
for CARES programs, which in recent
years have begun requiring participants to
acquire Child Development Permits. This
rate of certification is in stark contrast
to K-12 teachers, who are required to
become credentialed in order to work in
the public schools. As discussions move
forward concerning higher educational
qualifications for teachers in publicly
funded preschool programs, including
a credential or other certification, it is
now an opportune time to address the
larger issue of California’s overall lack
of uniform requirements for the ECE
teaching workforce.
As for participation in professional
development activities, our findings reveal
further variation among centers. It is
encouraging that two-thirds of centers
reported that at least one teacher was
participating in a local CARES or similar
program, and that within these centers,
a sizeable portion of staff were CARES
participants, suggesting that many centers
were engaged in upgrading the education
and training of their staff. Efforts to
extend such programs to additional
counties and child care centers are worthy
of attention.
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Discussion
4) How do levels of overall educational attainment, and
professional preparation related to early childhood
development, vary among teachers, assistant teachers and
directors employed in centers licensed to serve infants and/or
preschoolers?
Levels of education among teachers, assistant teachers and directors vary by
region, and generally follow the patterns of variation in educational attainment
among all adults in the state, with Bay Area centers being the most likely to employ at
least one teacher with a BA or higher degree.
Centers that enroll both infants and preschoolers report a somewhat lower
percentage of teachers with BA or higher degrees than those enrolling preschoolers but
no infants.
Educational attainment also varies by centers’ relationship to public subsidy.
Centers receiving public dollars through vouchers report a lower percentage of
teachers and directors who have obtained a BA or higher degree than all other centers.
Centers holding a Head Start or CDE contract report higher levels of AA degree
attainment among their teachers. Teachers in contracted centers are also the most
likely to hold a Child Development Permit.
Educational attainment varies by age among teachers, but not among assistant
teachers. Teachers with Bachelor’s or higher degrees are older, on average, than those
with less education.
Teachers’ educational attainment also varies by ethnicity and language: among
those with Bachelor’s or higher degrees, compared to the ethnic distribution among the
teacher population as a whole, White, Non-Hispanic and African American teachers
are represented proportionately, while Asian/Pacific Islanders are over-represented
and Latinas are under-represented. About 40 percent of Asian/Pacific Islander, 25
percent of White, Non-Hispanic, 20 percent of African American and 12 percent of
Latina teachers have completed a BA or higher degree. Latina, African American and
Asian/Pacific Islander teachers have attained BA or higher degrees at higher rates
than their counterparts in the overall state population, while White, Non-Hispanic
teachers are less likely to have earned a BA than White, Non-Hispanic California
adults.
With respect to linguistic capacity, teachers with AA degrees, on average, are
somewhat more likely than either teachers with BA or higher degrees, or teachers with
no degrees, to have the capacity to communicate with children in a language other
than English. Among assistant teachers, there is little or no variation by educational
attainment in the percentage of those who speak a language other than English
fluently.
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Discussion
A well-trained, culturally diverse
and competent workforce serving young
children, wherever they live in the state
and whatever their family income, is the
stated goal of many who are involved in
efforts to improve and expand early care
and education services. By examining
how the educational and professional
preparation of the current workforce
varies along several dimensions, these
data point to the need for a differential
strategy for targeting professional
development resources for the current
and emerging workforce if this goal is to
be met.
Although regional variations in the
overall educational attainment of the child
care center workforce reflect patterns
found among all adults in the state, they
nevertheless require attention in order
to address current disparities among
centers serving young children in various
parts of the state. In some regions, such
as Central California, where there are
relatively fewer teachers with BA or higher
degrees, proposed increases in teacher
qualifications related to publicly-funded
preschool will pose a greater challenge.
Current efforts in various parts of the state
to expand higher education offerings to
more remote communities without college
campuses, to utilize distance learning,
and to engage community agencies in
offering credit-bearing training, should be
strengthened and expanded.
Generally, our findings confirm that
most centers serve children under age
four, and thus they underscore how
important it is for early childhood-related
training to focus on infants, toddlers
and young preschoolers as well as fouryear-olds. At the same time – since many
centers, whether they choose to become
publicly-funded preschool sites or not,
are likely to continue caring for four years
olds as well as younger children for much
of the day – it is important that training
opportunities be made available to all who
work with children prior to kindergarten,
not just those serving as teachers and
instructional aides in publicly-funded
classrooms.
Another area of inequity with regard
to teacher background documented in
this study concerns variation among
centers with varying relationships to
public subsidy. The fact that teacher
educational levels in centers receiving
vouchers were significantly lower than
those in contracted centers reflects
current regulations, but nonetheless
raises concern about the overall quality
of education and care that children,
particularly children of low-income
families, receive in such centers. It also
points to the greater challenge these
programs would face in meeting higher
educational standards in order to become
part of a publicly funded preschool
system.
While a sizeable portion of teachers
and assistants working in centers were
found to be relatively young when
compared to the average adult female
in the state, this study confirmed the
troubling finding from previous studies
that the most educated segment of
the center teacher workforce is older
than the teacher population as a whole
(Herzenberg, Price & Bradley, 2005).
Teachers with BA and higher degrees
were more likely to be over age 50 and
approaching retirement at a time when
the demand is rising for teachers with
such qualifications. This suggests that in
addition to assisting current members
of the workforce in achieving college
degrees, California also needs a strategy
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Discussion
to recruit college graduates to early
childhood teaching positions, which
should include a strategy to improve
compensation, in order to make such
employment more attractive to welleducated young candidates.
With regard to educational attainment
by ethnicity, Asian/Pacific Islander,
African American and Latina providers
demonstrated very different patterns.
Asian/Pacific Islanders comprised a
higher proportion of teachers with college
degrees than of teachers as a whole.
African Americans were proportionately
represented among those with four-year
or higher degrees. Latinas, however, were
under-represented among degree holders
and over-represented among those for
whom high school was the highest level of
education. Many communities recognize
this phenomenon and are engaged in
efforts to make college more accessible
to Latina providers, in part by providing
entry-level early childhood courses in
Spanish, and intentionally using early
childhood-related content as a vehicle
for helping Spanish speakers build the
English skills necessary to complete
college degrees.
of these teachers. It is also particularly
striking that assistant teachers were the
most linguistically diverse segment of the
ECE workforce, pointing to the need for
greater attention to this population in
terms of access to higher education and
professional development.
Our finding that many degree holders
had obtained their degrees from a foreign
institution also shows the importance
of providing resources for transcript
translation and review. This may enable
providers who seek certification to reduce
the likelihood of having to repeat classes,
which is now common for foreign degree
holders.
On a more promising note, it is
important to recognize that early care
and education appears to be a field of
opportunity to some extent for teachers
of color. Latina, African American, and
Asian/Pacific Islander teachers had
attained BA or higher degrees at higher
rates than their counterparts in the overall
state population, whereas White, NonHispanic teachers were less likely to have
earned a BA than White, Non-Hispanic
California adults. What is not possible
to determine from these data is whether
this is a reflection of limited opportunities
in other fields or a choice on the part
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Discussion
5) How well prepared are teachers to care for and educate
children who are dual language learners or have special needs?
Only about one-third of centers employ teachers who have participated in noncredit training, and only 17 percent employ teachers who have completed college
coursework, focused on dual language learning in young children, despite the growing
numbers of young children in California who speak a language other than English in
their homes. Centers that report that at least one of their teachers has participated in
training or courses related to dual language learning report somewhat higher overall
levels of education among their teachers. Centers that report employing at least one
teacher who has participated in training or college courses related to dual language
learning also employ a higher percentage of teachers who speak a language other than
or in addition to English.
Many more teachers have participated in professional development related to
working with children with special needs. Three-quarters of centers report that at
least one of their teachers has participated in non-credit training, and about twothirds report that at least one of their teachers has completed college credits, related
to children with special needs. Centers that report caring for at least one child with
special needs also report higher levels of teacher professional development related
to working with children with special needs. Centers that hold a contract with Head
Start or CDE also employ a higher percentage of teachers with relevant professional
development.
Our data show that the vast majority
of child care center teachers in California
have not engaged in either non-credit or
credit-bearing training related to dual
language learning. This is largely because
such training and coursework are not
generally available, reflecting the need
to update the courses of study at our
training institutions, both college- and
community-based, and to expand the pool
of instructors who are knowledgeable
about this subject (Whitebook, Bellm, Lee
& Sakai, 2005).
program conducted by local R&Rs and
other agencies, has the potential to reach
even more of the center-based ECE
workforce with important information
related to children with special needs.
A similar effort around dual language
learning is much needed. Additionally,
more advanced coursework and training
in these subjects must be offered if we
hope to build an early care and education
workforce that is well prepared to meet
the diverse needs of California’s young
children.
By contrast, many more teachers in
the state have received training or college
coursework related to serving children
with special needs. This is a reflection
of an intentional strategy, supported
by resources through SB 1703, to make
such training available. The passage in
2005 of SB 640, extending this training
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Discussion
*****
In the last five years, with the availability of more resources for children ages 0 to 5
flowing through local and state First 5 Commissions and other sources, there has been
a concerted effort to expand professional development opportunities for the early care
and education workforce, and to make these offerings more relevant and accessible.
In the process of expanding resources, however, many of the limitations of the state’s
current professional development infrastructure have become more visible.
Now, as California and various counties embark on creating publicly funded
preschool programs, there is an opportunity to develop comprehensive state and local
plans for professional development that are inclusive of teachers and providers in a
variety of settings, whether they work primarily with four-year-olds or with younger
and older children. As their foundation, such plans should reflect the latest information
about what practitioners need to know and do in order to help children realize their
potential.
Policy issues to be considered include: the challenges of operating a program with
multiple funding streams and different qualifications and pay scales for teachers
working with children of different ages; the impact on the supply of care for infants,
toddlers and three-year-olds if centers choose to serve four-year-olds exclusively; the
extent of career opportunities for teachers and assistants who meet publicly funded
preschool standards; and the availability of educational and quality improvement
pathways for teaching staff who work in programs that do not become either public
preschool sites or affiliated extended-day services. The data reported here do not
address these scenarios directly, but provide a baseline description of the current
landscape that can help frame additional research.
This study has provided a snapshot of the center-based early care and education
workforce in 2005, capturing current strengths and areas in need of improvement. It
is to be hoped that future assessments will document great strides toward creating an
even more diverse, culturally competent workforce, well prepared to meet the needs of
California’s young children.
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006
Appendix A:
Additional Tables
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Appendix A
Table A1. Estimated Age Range of Assistant Teachers: By Ages of Children Served
Estimated percentage
Centers enrolling
infantsa
Statewide
Centers without
infants
29 years or younger
48.7
60.7
40.7
30 to 39 years
26.7
23.8
28.5
40 to 49 years
15.3
10.2
18.7
50 years or older
9.3
5.3
12.0
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number of assistant teachers
20,539
8,179
12,360
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
a
Most of these centers also enroll older children,
Table A2. Estimated Age Range of Assistant Teachers: By Centers’ Relationship to
Public Subsidy
Estimated percentage
Statewide
Head Start/CDE
contract
Vouchers/No
contract
No vouchers/No
contract
29 years or younger
48.7
47.0
53.8
45.4
30 to 39 years
26.7
27.3
26.3
25.6
40 to 49 years
15.3
15.5
13.0
18.3
50 years or older
9.3
10.2
6.9
10.7
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number of assistant teachers
70,539
10,279
6,136
4,124
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
Table A3. Estimated Age Range of Assistant Teachers: Statewide and by Region
Estimated percentage
Statewide
Northern CA
Bay Area
Central CA
Southern CA
29 years or younger
48.7
57.9
43.9
52.3
48.1
30 to 39 years
26.7
21.4
24.8
29.0
27.2
40 to 49 years
15.3
11.6
21.1
13.0
14.6
50 years or older
9.3
9.1
10.2
5.7
10.1
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number of assistant
teachers
20,539
1,399
3,854
3,482
11,804
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Appendix A
Table A4. Estimated Ethnicity of Teachers, Assistant Teachers and Directors, By
Ages of Children Served
Estimated percentage
Teachers
Assistant
teachers
All centers
Centers enrolling
infantsa
Centers without
infants
White, Non-Hispanic
53.0
49.7
55.0
Latina
26.9
30.3
24.8
African American
7.3
7.8
7.0
Asian/Pacific Islander
8.0
7.6
8.3
American Indian or Alaskan
Native
0.3
0.3
0.3
Multiethnic
2.2
1.4
2.7
Other
2.3
2.8
2.0
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number of teachers
43,290
16,707
26,603
White, Non-Hispanic
36.9
37.8
36.3
Latina
42.0
43.6
40.8
African American
8.1
5.3
10.0
Asian/Pacific Islander
8.1
7.8
8.3
American Indian or Alaskan
Native
0.4
0.4
0.4
Multiethnic
1.6
1.6
1.5
Other
2.9
3.4
2.6
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
20,833
8,485
12,348
White, Non-Hispanic
62.6
62.5
62.7
Latina
15.9
19.8
13.9
African American
8.6
7.4
9.3
Asian/Pacific Islander
6.1
4.3
7.0
American Indian or Alaskan
Native
6.4
0.7
0.6
Multiethnic
3.8
3.7
3.9
Number of assistant teachers
Directors
Other
2.3
2.0
2.5
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number of directors
6,852
2,355
4,497
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
a
Most of these centers also enroll older children.
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Table A5. Estimated Distribution of Assistant Teachers, Teachers and Directors Who
Work with Infants and Preschool Children: By Region
Northern CA
Bay Area
Central CA
Southern CA
Assistant teachers
Teachers
Directors
Total
Total number
1,440
2,534
367
4,341
Percentage
33.2
58.4
8.4
100.0
Total number
4,462
11,276
1,446
17,184
Percentage
26.0
65.6
8.4
100.0
Total number
3,658
7,444
1,200
12,302
29.7
60.5
9.8
100.0
13,070
23,326
3,894
40,290
32.4
57.9
9.7
100.0
Percentage
Total number
Percentage
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
Table A6. Estimated Percentage of Centers that Care for At Least One Child with
Special Needs: By Region and By Ages of Children Served
Estimated percentage (SE)
No children with special
needs
Statewide
Centers
enrolling
infantsa
Centers
without
infants
Northern
CA
Bay
Area
Central
CA
Southern
CA
44.2
40.3
45.5
40.7
47.5
44.1
43.2
(1.2)
(2.6)
(1.4)
(2.7)
(2.4)
(2.3)
(2.0)
At least one child with
special needs*
55.8
59.7
54.5
59.3
52.5
55.9
56.8
(1.2)
(2.6)
(1.4)
(2.7)
(2.4)
(2.3)
(2.0)
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number of centers
7,723
1,928
5,795
646
1,837
1,424
3,815
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
a
Most of these centers also enroll older children.
Table A7. Estimated Percentage of Assistant Teachers By Age and Educational
Attainment: Statewide
Estimated percentage
All assistant teachers
Assistants with associate
Assistants with no degree
or higher degree
Under 29 years old
48.7
40.8
50.7
30 to 39 years old
26.7
29.5
25.9
40 to 49 years old
15.3
19.0
14.4
Over 50 years old
9.3
10.7
9.0
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number of staff
20,548
4,151
16,397
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
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Table A8. Estimated Percentage of Teachers and Assistant Teachers By Age and
Educational Attainment: By Region
Estimated percentage
All
teachers
Under 29
years old
37.8
29.8
30.7
47.1
57.9
48.2
60.2
30 to 39
years old
23.7
21.9
28.7
21.2
21.4
23.4
20.9
22.6
23.5
24.5
20.8
11.6
14.9
10.8
15.9
24.8
16.1
10.9
9.1
13.5
8.1
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number of
staff
2,523
608
780
1,135
1,399
272
1,127
Under 29
years old
28.2
23.3
26.4
33.2
43.9
31.1
48.2
30 to 39
years old
27.7
24.7
28.3
29.7
24.8
28.0
23.8
40 to 49
years old
24.4
24.1
26.1
23.9
21.1
29.8
18.2
Over 50
years old
19.7
27.9
19.2
13.2
10.2
11.1
9.8
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number of
staff
10,714
3,687
2,463
4,564
3,854
957
2,897
Under 29
years old
38.1
28.5
33.2
45.8
52.4
47.9
53.5
30 to 39
years old
31.0
33.1
31.0
30.2
29.0
32.5
28.1
40 to 49
years old
19.1
19.3
22.5
16.3
12.9
13.9
12.7
Over 50
years old
11.8
19.1
13.3
7.7
5.7
5.7
5.7
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number of
staff
6,894
1,242
2,532
3,120
3,491
660
2,831
40 to 49
Northern years old
CA
Over 50
years old
Bay Area
Central
CA
Teachers
Assistants
Teachers
with
Teachers
All
with
Assistants
with
bachelor's
with no assistant associate
with no
associate
or higher
degree teachers or higher
degree
degree
degree
degree
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Appendix A
Table A8. Estimated Percentage of Teachers and Assistant Teachers By Age and
Educational Attainment: By Region
Estimated percentage
All
teachers
Teachers
Assistants
Teachers
with
Teachers
All
with
Assistants
with
bachelor's
with no assistant associate
with no
associate
or higher
degree teachers or higher
degree
degree
degree
degree
Under 29
years old
33.2
21.9
28.3
41.3
48.1
41.9
49.6
30 to 39
years old
29.8
26.5
32.1
30.1
27.2
30.1
26.5
22.6
28.2
24.8
18.6
14.5
16.4
14.1
14.4
23.4
14.8
10.0
10.2
11.6
9.8
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number of
staff
22,546
5,364
6,115
11,067
11,805
2,262
9,543
40 to 49
Southern years old
CA
Over 50
years old
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Appendix A
Table A9. Estimated Percentage of Teachers and Assistant Teachers by Age and
Educational Attainment: By Ages of Children Enrolled and Centers’ Relationship to
Public Subsidy
Estimated percentage
All
teachers
Centers
enrolling
infants
Centers
without
infants
Teachers
Assistants
Teachers
with
Teachers
All
with
Assistants
with
bachelor's
with no assistant associate
with no
associate
or higher
degree teachers or higher
degree
degree
degree
degree
Under 29
years old
44.3
33.2
40.9
50.3
60.7
54.7
61.8
30 to 39
years old
28.0
27.7
31.1
26.4
23.8
30.4
22.6
40 to 49
years old
18.6
24.1
19
16.3
10.2
10.5
10.2
Over 50
years old
9.1
15.0
9.0
7.0
5.3
4.4
5.4
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number
of staff
16,391
3,318
4,434
8,639
8,173
1,235
6,938
Under 29
years old
26.0
19.4
22.1
33.0
40.8
34.9
42.6
30 to 39
years old
29.8
25.8
30.7
31.9
28.5
29.2
28.3
40 to 49
years old
24.9
26.2
27.9
22.0
18.6
22.5
17.5
Over 50
years old
19.3
28.6
19.3
13.1
12.1
13.4
11.6
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number
of staff
26,285
7,583
7,455
11,247
12,376
2,917
9,459
Under 29
years old
23.6
19.2
19.4
32.8
47.0
45.2
47.3
30 to 39
years old
31.8
26.1
34.5
33.6
27.3
28.0
27.2
26.4
25.1
29.7
23.4
15.5
17.6
15.0
18.2
29.6
16.4
10.2
10.2
9.2
10.5
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number
of staff
9,683
2,757
3,872
3,054
10,279
1,909
8,370
40 to 49
Head
Start/CDE years old
contract
Over 50
years old
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Appendix A
Table A9. Estimated Percentage of Teachers and Assistant Teachers by Age and
Educational Attainment: By Ages of Children Enrolled and Centers’ Relationship to
Public Subsidy
Estimated percentage
All
teachers
Under 29
years old
40.4
29.6
39.1
45.0
53.9
44.7
56.0.
30 to 39
years old
28.2
27.0
31.2
27.4
26.3
29.7
25.5
19.6
24.2
18.8
18.2
12.9
15.2
12.4
11.8
19.2
10.9
9.4
6.9
10.4
6.1
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number
of staff
20,703
4,258
5,008
11,437
6,145
1,113
5,032
Under 29
years old
28.0
20.1
25.1
35.4
45.4
29.5
51.4
30 to 39
years old
28.4
25.9
25.6
31.8
25.6
32.1
23.1
40 to 49
years old
24.3
27.4
27.5
20.2
18.3
24.9
15.8
Over 50
years old
19.3
26.6
21.8
12.6
10.7
13.5
9.7
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number
of staff
12,290
3,886
3,009
5,395
4,124
1,129
2,995
Vouchers/ 40 to 49
years old
No
contract
Over 50
years old
No
vouchers/
No
contract
Teachers
Assistants
Teachers
with
Teachers
All
with
Assistants
with
bachelor's
with no assistant associate
with no
associate
or higher
degree teachers or higher
degree
degree
degree
degree
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Appendix A
Table A10. Estimated Percentage of Teachers By Ethnicity and Educational
Attainment: Statewide and By Region
Estimated percentage
Teachers
with
bachelor's
or higher
degree
Teachers
with
associate
degree
Teachers
with no
degree
Statewide
Northern
CA
Bay
Area
Central
CA
Southern
CA w/
Los
Angeles
Southern
CA w/o
Los
Angeles
White, Non-Hispanic
58.6
87.3
58.8
63.5
54.1
63.0
Latina
13.4
4.1
6.6
19.6
17.5
15.4
African American
6.2
0.9
5.2
4.0
8.0
4.1
Asian/Pacific Islander
15.2
3.5
23.4
8.2
12.7
11.2
American Indian or
Alaskan Native
0.3
1.0
0.4
0.2
0.3
0.5
Multiethnic
2.8
2.2
1.7
3.0
3.5
1.8
Other
3.5
1.0
3.9
1.5
3.9
4.0
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number of teachers
10,999
608
3,670
1,273
5,448
2,975
White, Non-Hispanic
50.8
83.6
52.2
51.8
45.6
52.0
Latina
30.2
10.9
17.7
31.9
36.9
34.2
African American
8.0
1.0
8.6
6.6
9.3
6.3
Asian/Pacific Islander
7.2
0.8
17.2
5.1
4.7
4.5
American Indian or
Alaskan Native
0.4
2.0
0.7
0.2
0.2
0.4
Multiethnic
1.8
1.5
1.7
2.5
1.7
1.6
Other
1.6
0.2
1.9
1.9
1.6
1.0
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number of teachers
13,045
726
2,518
2,554
6,197
3,251
White, Non-Hispanic
51.3
80.5
46.7
53.7
49.4
56.0
Latina
32.2
13.4
25.5
33.2
36.6
34.5
African American
7.4
0.7
9.9
6.6
7.4
4.9
Asian/Pacific Islander
4.7
1.0
10.5
3.4
3.0
2.8
American Indian or
Alaskan Native
0.2
1.0
0.5
0.3
0.0
0.1
Multiethnic
2.1
2.9
3.1
1.7
1.8
0.7
Other
2.1
0.5
3.8
1.1
1.8
1.0
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number of teachers
20,245
1,123
4,569
3,411
11,142
6,186
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Appendix A
Table A11. Estimated Percentage of Assistant Teachers by Ethnicity and Educational
Attainment: Statewide and by Region
Estimated percentage
Assistant
teachers
with
associate
or higher
degree
All
assistant
teachers
Statewide
Northern
CA
Bay
Area
Central
CA
Southern
CA w/
Los
Angeles
Southern
CA w/o
Los
Angeles
White, NonHispanic
36.9
44.4
75.8
46.4
38.7
41.2
43.9
Latina
42.0
27.6
14.4
12.7
43.5
30.7
27.8
African
American
8.1
6.8
1.9
5.9
6.2
8.0
8.2
Asian/Pacific
Islander
8.1
14.2
3.3
29.1
7.7
11.4
12.4
American
Indian or
Alaskan Native
0.4
0.2
1.3
0.0
0.0
0.2
0.4
Multiethnic
1.6
2.3
2.6
1.4
1.0
3.0
2.1
Other
2.9
4.5
0.7
4.5
2.9
5.5
5.2
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
20,834
4,185
296
936
660
2,293
1,333
White, NonHispanic
35.0
72.0
39.3
34.6
29.6
39.5
Latina
45.6
20.8
30.8
51.0
51.4
46.2
African
American
8.5
0.8
8.8
6.0
9.9
6.1
Asian/Pacific
Islander
6.6
1.4
15.6
3.9
5.3
4.6
American
Indian or
Alaskan Native
0.4
2.6
0.2
0.3
0.3
0.4
Multiethnic
1.4
1.9
1.4
1.6
1.2
1.0
Number of
assistants
Assistant
teachers
with no
degree
Other
2.5
0.5
3.9
2.6
2.3
2.2
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number of
assistants
16,649
1,129
2,944
2,831
9,745
4,472
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Appendix A
Table A12. Estimated Percentage of Assistants with an Associate or Higher Degree, or
No Degree, By Ethnicity: Statewide and By Region
Estimated percentage
All centers
Northern CA
Bay Area
Central CA
Southern
CA w/ Los
Angeles
Southern
CA w/o Los
Angeles
Associate or
higher degree
No degree
Total
Number of
assistant teachers
White, Non-Hispanic
24.2
75.8
100.0
7,691
Latina
13.2
86.8
100.0
8,745
African American
16.9
83.1
100.0
1,688
Asian/Pacific Islander
35.0
65.0
100.0
1,696
White, Non-Hispanic
21.6
78.4
100.0
1,036
Latina
15.3
84.7
100.0
278
African American
37.6
62.4
100.0
15
Asian/Pacific Islander
40.0
60.0
100.0
25
White, Non-Hispanic
27.3
72.7
100.0
1,591
Latina
11.6
88.4
100.0
1,025
African American
17.6
82.4
100.0
315
Asian/Pacific Islander
37.2
62.8
100.0
732
White, Non-Hispanic
20.7
79.3
100.0
1,235
Latina
16.6
83.4
100.0
1,731
African American
19.4
80.6
100.0
171
Asian/Pacific Islander
31.4
68.6
100.0
161
White, Non-Hispanic
24.7
75.3
100.0
3,829
Latina
12.3
87.7
100.0
5,711
African American
16.0
84.0
100.0
1,146
Asian/Pacific Islander
33.6
66.4
100.0
778
White, Non-Hispanic
24.9
75.1
100.0
2,350
Latina
15.2
84.8
100.0
2,438
African American
28.6
71.4
100.0
384
Asian/Pacific Islander
44.6
55.4
100.0
369
Note. Based on a sample of 1,921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers.
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: Appendix A
Table A13. Estimated Mean Percentage of Teachers with Non-Credit Training and/
or College Credits Related to Dual Language Learning Children, by Age of Children
Served and Region
Estimated mean percentage per center (SE)
Southern Southern
CA
CA w/o
w/Los
Los
Angeles
Angeles
Statewide
Centers
enrolling
infantsa
Centers
without
infants
Northern
CA
Bay
Area
Central
CA
At least one hour of
non-credit training
28.5
24.8
29.9
28.9
24.2
34.6
28.4
28.2
(1.1)
(2.1)
(1.2)
(2.3)
(1.9)
(2.1)
(1.7)
(2.0)
Number of centers
7,100
1,728
5,372
607
1,666
1,320
3,507
1,921
At least one college
credit
17.2
14.2
18.1
15.8
15.7
19.7
17.2
13.7
(0.9)
(1.6)
(1.0)
(1.9)
(1.6)
(1.8)
(1.4)
(1.4)
Number of centers
6,657
1,592
5,064
582
1,599
1,213
3,263
1,816
Note. Based on a sample of 1921 centers, weighted to represent the population of licensed centers
a
Most of these centers also enroll older children,
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
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California Early Care and Education Study: Licensed Child Care Centers, 2006: References
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